Borja Sainz slips down pecking order, but FC Porto fully back him | OneFootball

Far from the level he showed at the start of the season and well below the spark he displayed in England, Borja Sainz is going through the most difficult spell of the campaign, having failed to play a single minute in FC Porto’s last three matches. The Spaniard stayed on the bench against Tondela, Sporting and Estrela da Amadora, a competitive stoppage that carries even more weight given that he is fully fit.

In practice, that means the absence is the result of a decision by Francesco Farioli, who has been rotating the squad somewhat. The main “culprit” is Oskar Pietuszewski, who arrived and immediately nailed down a starting spot.

Up to the match against Tondela, Borja — Farioli’s ninth most-used player (2,395 minutes) — had missed only three games: against Aves SAD, through suspension, and against Arouca and Sporting (Cup), after his mother’s death. Between 8 March, in the clash with Benfica, and the trip to Nottingham on 16 April, he was always used.

His latest displays have not convinced, but that does not reflect any loss of confidence from the coaching staff. Alverca, the next opponent, brings back good memories: it was precisely against that side that he scored his last brace.

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