Rafael Nel will start in Sporting's next match | OneFootball

Rafael Nel will be used by Sporting’s B team in the next match against Farense, in a game where the striker could get minutes again to maintain his competitive rhythm. Rodrigo Dias is expected to follow the same path, after both were left out of action by the first team against Rio Ave (4-0).

The forward was included in the squad for the trip to Vila do Conde, but ended up staying on the bench. This season, the young striker has played only 15 minutes for Rui Borges’ team, recorded in the match against Alverca, so featuring for the B team appears to be a solution to avoid a drop in competitive sharpness.

This strategy is not new for the Sporting setup. About two weeks ago, after also not being used against Vitória de Guimarães, he started for the B team in the clash with Chaves. The same principle should now apply to Rodrigo Dias, who could also be called upon by Tiago Fernandes.

Last season, Sporting already used this kind of management to guarantee minutes for players who had not been used by the first team. In the last round, for example, Rodrigo Dias and Eduardo Felicíssimo did not take part in the match against Alverca, but travelled to Penafiel the following day to be included in the B team’s starting eleven against the home side.

Rafael Nel had an impressive pre-season, but has since seen competition increase with the return of Luis Suárez and the recovery of Fotis Ioannidis. With both internationals available again, the pecking order in attack has changed, but the 21-year-old striker remains determined to make the most of every opportunity and fight for a place in Rui Borges’ plans.

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