Ahead of Sporting v Benfica, José Mourinho has a key weapon | OneFootball

Raising Fredrik Aursnes’ fitness levels so he is ready for the derby between Benfica and Sporting, to be played this Sunday in the 30th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, is one of the week’s priorities for José Mourinho and Benfica’s technical staff.

The Norwegian midfielder returned from injury last weekend and played only 13 minutes in the win over Nacional (2-0), enough to show that he is ready, although he still needs to regain his competitive rhythm. Aursnes is pushing to return in top form and once again take charge of Benfica’s midfield, an area of the pitch where he has established himself as an essential piece in the Eagles’ playing model under Mourinho.

It should be remembered that Benfica’s number 8 had suffered a muscle injury to the back of his left thigh in the match against Gil Vicente, in Barcelos, on March 2. That issue kept him out of four important fixtures — against Porto, Arouca, V. Guimarães and Casa Pia — as well as two Norway national team matches in March.

José Mourinho himself publicly acknowledged the player’s influence. "There’s no hiding that Benfica with Aursnes is the best Benfica […] if he is fit, he plays", said the coach after the win over Nacional, in a match where he initially started Luxembourg international Leandro Barreiro and Colombian Richard Ríos in central midfield.

For the derby at Alvalade, the possibility is gaining strength that Mourinho may once again be able to rely on the partnership that has delivered the best performances throughout the season: Leandro Barreiro and Aursnes. "Barreiro and Aursnes are two very important players in our team. Not having one… ok… not having two starts to verge on drama for us. Not having both is close to dramatic", admitted the Special One.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.