Rui Borges has picked Hjulmand's replacement at Sporting - Arsenal | OneFootball

After the 4-2 win over Santa Clara, with some regular starters rested, Rui Borges has already begun preparing the team for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal this Tuesday. Despite arriving relatively well-rested, the team will have to cope with the absence of captain Morten Hjulmand, who is suspended, but the coach has already decided who should take his place.

The player chosen to link defence and attack should be Zeno Debast, who will partner Hidemasa Morita. Despite some difficulty for the Belgian international in defence in the last match, Rui Borges showed confidence in using him: "The second half was under control and Santa Clara ended up believing after a lapse from Debast," he commented, referring to the second goal conceded.

The centre-back’s role in midfield should lessen the impact of that previous defensive mistake. Rui Borges reinforced the player’s potential: "As a midfielder, he has been a little more aggressive than when he plays as a centre-back. Call me crazy, but I still say that, in the future, he can be a great midfielder because of the individual qualities he has," the coach praised.

The defence will also undergo significant changes with the return of Gonçalo Inácio and Ousmane Diomande to central defence, both absent against Santa Clara, as well as Iván Fresneda, who did not play due to flu but could return fully recovered. At left-back, Maxi Araújo, who only played 45 minutes in the last match, returns fresh.

In attack, Luis Suárez, who was suspended in the league, will also be back, ready to lead the front line. Geny Catamo and Francisco Trincão, who both played the full 90 minutes, as well as goalkeeper Rui Silva, are expected to keep their places in the starting eleven against Arsenal.

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