José Mourinho set to have two secret weapons for Benfica v Real Madrid | OneFootball

The Benfica registration list for the knockout stage of the Champions League will include two pieces of good news for José Mourinho. Sidny Cabral and Rafa Silva are expected to be the main additions to the Eagles' squad, which must be communicated to UEFA by 11 PM this Thursday.

It should be noted that the European body's rules prevent players signed during the January transfer window from playing in the last two rounds of the league phase. Sidny Cabral was announced at the beginning of the first month of 2026 but could not represent the Eagles against Juventus (0-2) and Real Madrid (4-2). Rafa was officially announced by the Eagles the day after the defeat in Turin and was also not included in the options for the match against the Merengues.

The fact that Rafa played for Besiktas in the Europa League and Conference League qualifying stages this season does not prevent his registration and possible participation wearing the Eagles' jersey in the knockout stage of the prestigious competition, according to UEFA regulations.

The two athletes will be included in the Eagles' A list, which can have a maximum of 25 members. Regarding the squad presented in September for the league phase, Rafael Obrador, a Spanish full-back loaned to the Italian side Torino in January, is a confirmed absence.

It's worth remembering that Benfica will face the Spanish team Real Madrid in the Champions League playoff. The two matches are scheduled for February 17 and 25, first at Estádio da Luz and then in Madrid, at Santiago Bernabéu.

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