Benfica's No. 5 injured, won't return for another 2 months | OneFootball

Enzo Barrenechea is a last-minute injury blow for Marco Silva for the Clássico against Porto. Benfica confirmed this Saturday that the Argentine midfielder suffered an injury to his left knee and will have to undergo surgery, ruling him out of action for two months.

In an official statement released on the eve of the trip to the Estádio do Dragão, the Lisbon club revealed that the player suffered "a sprain to the left knee, resulting in a tear of the medial meniscus." The number 5 will begin his recovery process after surgery, although no exact timeline for his absence has yet been given. Barrenechea’s situation was already a concern for Marco Silva. The Benfica coach had admitted hours earlier that the Argentine was a doubt for the match against the Dragons.

"As for Enzo Barrenechea, I can’t say that he won’t be ready for the game. We are assessing him, he will travel, tomorrow we will carry out more tests, and at this point we still don’t know. All the other players are ready for the Clássico," the coach explained in the pre-match press conference.

The absence is particularly significant for Marco Silva, as the midfielder had been establishing himself as an important player. After being mentioned as one of the players who could be transferred at the end of last season, the arrival of the Portuguese coach completely changed the picture.

Barrenechea started nine of Benfica’s first 13 matches at the start of the season, taking on a prominent role in the coach’s plans. He is now forced into a lengthy spell on the sidelines and will miss the Clássico.

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