Rui Borges may spring a surprise in the Bodø/Glimt v Sporting line-up | OneFootball

In the cold of Norway, Sporting may present a new face in the starting eleven for the match against Bodø/Glimt, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Nuno Santos is set for a rare start, something that hasn’t happened since October 26, 2024.

With Maxi Araújo suspended and Pedro Gonçalves also unavailable for this match, Rui Borges is expected to turn to the ‘number 11’ to occupy the left flank of the defense, according to the newspaper Record. The lack of alternatives in that position makes the 31-year-old winger the main candidate for the spot in the duel scheduled for Wednesday at 20:00, on the synthetic pitch of Aspmyra Stadium.

The final decision still needs to be confirmed in the training sessions leading up to the game, but this scenario is gaining strength given that the Lions’ coach cannot count on Maxi Araújo and Ricardo Mangas, who is still recovering from muscle problems.

Nuno Santos has not started for Sporting in over 16 months, although he has gradually accumulated minutes since returning to competition. This season, he has already appeared in matches against AVS SAD, Estoril, and Porto, totaling 55 minutes.

As for Ricardo Mangas, the 27-year-old full-back will undergo a final physical test at the Academy to assess his availability, but all indications are that he will only return in time for the second leg against Bodø/Glimt, scheduled for March 17 at Alvalade.

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