Circati has just joined Benfica and may already be out for Silva | OneFootball

Benfica have already made the signing of Alessandro Circati official, with the player strengthening the heart of the defence after the departure of António Silva. The Australian centre-back arrives from Parma in a deal worth €20 million, but his presence in the squad could be interrupted as early as January.

The player is expected to be called up by Tony Popovic to represent Australia at the Asian Cup, a competition that will take place in Saudi Arabia between 7 January and 5 February. The defender started all four matches played by the Australian national team at the 2026 World Cup and therefore appears to be one of the options for the continental tournament.

If the player is included in Australia’s squad, Marco Silva could be left without an option in central defence for almost a month. The period coincides with a particularly demanding stage of the season, including five league matchdays, in addition to the final two rounds of the Europa League, should the Eagles get through the playoff.

For now, Australia have three matches confirmed in the Asian Cup group stage. The national team will face Singapore on 9 January, Iraq five days later, and Tajikistan on 19 January. However, Circati’s absence could be extended if the Australian team manage to progress to the knockout stage of the competition.

This season, Alessandro Circati also made one appearance for Parma — a 2-0 win over Catania in a Coppa Italia match —, bidding farewell to the Italian club with 96 appearances, two goals and the Serie B title.

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