Bednarek injury forces Farioli to reshuffle FC Porto defence | OneFootball

FC Porto begin their Primeira Liga campaign next Sunday, 9 August, against Alverca. However, the events of the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup forced Francesco Farioli to rethink the starting eleven he had in mind to begin the defence of the title won last season.

During Sunday’s match at the Cidade de Coimbra Stadium, whose pitch was not in suitable condition for a game of the importance of a Super Cup, Jan Bednarek suffered a sprain to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, the blue-and-white club officially announced.

The injury raised doubts over the Polish international’s availability for the opening round of the Portuguese league, affecting Farioli’s plans. The centre-back is in fact expected to miss the match, leaving an open spot in Porto’s defensive line. Even so, this is not the only issue the Italian coach will have to resolve.

In fact, only one position in the defensive unit appears to be virtually settled: Jakub Kiwior is expected to play as the left-sided centre-back. The other three positions, however, remain uncertain.

The first decision concerns Jan Bednarek’s replacement, who is expected to partner the other Polish international in central defence. Two alternatives are being considered. The most natural solution, without major adjustments, would be to field Nehuén Pérez or Dominik Prpic, both natural centre-backs and both capable of taking the place of the 30-year-old player.

The other possibility would be to once again adapt the versatile Pablo Rosario to the centre of defence, something that has already happened under Francesco Farioli at FC Porto. Given that the young Croatian does not appear to be a regular choice for the Dragons’ coach, and that the Argentine defender has not yet reached the desired competitive rhythm, all signs point to the Dominican Republic player once again being called upon to play the role of “firefighter”. In addition, the other position where he could be used already has other options available.

Full-backs with rumours swirling, or will the Super Cup duo stay?

The full-back positions continue to be a concern for Farioli, who does not seem willing to move for the signing of a left-back, despite only having Zaidu and Francisco Moura available. Neither has yet fully convinced the coach or won over the fans.

Given this scenario, FC Porto may once again turn to Martim Fernandes on the left against Alverca, repeating a solution already used last season, including in Clássicos against Sporting.

On the right flank, responsibility should remain with Alberto Costa. If any fitness issue arises, Martim Fernandes could be moved to that position, with Zaidu taking up the role that is more natural to him. The versatility of FC Porto’s players has been useful in overcoming difficult moments, so Farioli will certainly have his strategy defined for next Sunday, at 18:00 (mainland Portugal time), at the Dragão Stadium.

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