Rui Borges 'signing' thought he'd finish the season at Alverca - Sporting | OneFootball

Initial fears surrounding Nuno Santos’ injury were not confirmed. The winger left the field in tears during Sporting’s 4-1 win over Alverca, complaining of pain in his left thigh, but tests carried out at the Academy revealed a muscle injury that will sideline him for between two and three weeks, avoiding a more serious scenario that had been feared: his season being over.

The 'number 11' will miss the home game against Santa Clara on April 3 at 8:30pm, the match against Arsenal on April 7 at 8:00pm, and the away trip to Estrela da Amadora on April 11 at 8:30pm. Even so, there is still a chance he could recover in time for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on the 15th at the Emirates.

The injury was sustained midway through the first half of Alverca - Sporting, in his first start 512 days after the complete rupture of the patellar tendon in his right knee, which required surgery. Although it is not serious, the issue caused considerable concern for the player, something that was clear from his tears on the bench, which eased after the assessment carried out at half-time.

Now, Nuno Santos will try to shorten the recovery timeline and will begin rehabilitation work immediately. Although the squad will only return from their break on Wednesday, the winger is already starting his recovery at the Academy today.

Nuno Santos – valued at 5 million euros – joined Sporting in 2020 from Rio Ave for 4.15 million euros (according to Transfermarkt). Since then, the 30-year-old winger has made 202 appearances, scored 34 goals, provided 43 assists, and won seven trophies (three league titles, one Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, one Portuguese Cup, and two League Cups).

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