Rui Borges without Sporting defence for over a month | OneFootball

Rui Borges will not be able to count on the contribution of Zeno Debast, at least until the end of the next FIFA international break. The Belgian center-back had been one of the standout players for the team at the start of the season, having secured a spot in the coach’s starting eleven.

In last Wednesday’s match, October 22, against Marseille, Zeno Debast showed clear physical discomfort around the 80th minute, and was quickly substituted by Rui Borges, who brought on Ousmane Diomande, not wanting to risk the Belgian’s condition.

At the end of the match, Rui Borges admitted he was unaware of the nature of the injury, further explaining that he initially thought it was just cramps. However, the player was re-evaluated this Thursday by Sporting’s medical team, and, according to the newspaper Record, the diagnosis is a muscle injury in his right thigh.

The same Portuguese newspaper reports that the Belgian center-back is expected to be sidelined until the end of the next FIFA international break. This would mean missing the matches against Tondela (League), Alverca (Allianz Cup), Alverca (League), Juventus (Champions), and Santa Clara (League), and he will also be excused from duties with the Belgian national team. He could return on November 23, for the Portuguese Cup match against Marinhense.

Rui Borges is thus deprived of one of the most used center-backs at Sporting so far. His options are Gonçalo Inácio and Ousmane Diomande, who recently returned from injury, as well as Eduardo Quaresma and Matheus Reis, who have been used less frequently this season.

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