Possible replacements for Alberto Costa for the match against Nacional | OneFootball

Alberto Costa, who stood out as a playmaker at FC Porto under the command of Farioli, had accumulated four assists in four rounds when he suffered a muscle injury in his right thigh. The club's medical department confirmed yesterday his unavailability for the match against Nacional on the 13th, and announced the start of treatment to speed up recovery, with the team working to have the fullback available for the match against Rio Ave in Vila do Conde. The nearly 22-year-old, originally from Vitória and with a stint at Juventus, had already shown offensive power in Italy, where he registered three assists in 14 matches, and was experiencing the best moment of his career at Dragão.

Roberto Martínez's confidence in calling up Alberto Costa for the national team raised expectations, but the stoppage puts a setback on an athlete who was one of the best in Alvalade, where he provided the pass for De Jong's 0-1. His absence creates a complicated problem for FC Porto, as there is currently no direct alternative: Martim Fernandes is in recovery and Zé Pedro is in the process of adaptation after moving to Cagliari. Among the root options, only the recent arrival from team B, Pedro Lima (ex-Wolverhampton), who has already experienced the pressure of the Premier League, appears.

However, Farioli has plausible solutions in the squad. Pepê, recovered from an eye problem that cost him two games, can return to the right wing - a position he sometimes occupied during Sérgio Conceição's term - which would allow the coach to keep the motivated William Gomes up front.

Pepê: known versatility The use of Pepê in the more retracted position was a regular resource with Sérgio Conceição, especially when João Mário had difficulties or when the fullback showed signs of weakness. Very unbalancing in attack, the Brazilian fell back several times in the 2023/24 season, in a team with creative wingers like Francisco Conceição and Galeno. Despite having lost some statistical impact, he showed the ability to perform various tasks and this versatility counted for the call to the national team. Even if he doesn't prefer this function, Pepê can give a competent response as a temporary solution.

Pedro Lima: recent arrival Pedro Lima, a young international for Brazil and with minutes in the Premier League for Wolverhampton under Vítor Pereira, arrived at the close of the market and was integrated into team B, but has already been called to training by Farioli, showing qualities. The injury to Alberto Costa and Martim's recovery accentuate his usefulness, although the lack of routines in a high competitive load team makes, for now, his inclusion in the options for the immediate difficult.

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