Marco Silva plans Luz shake-up, Benfica youngsters shine in pre-season | OneFootball

Benfica’s pre-season is set to begin in a rather unusual scenario, opening an important window for the club’s youth prospects. With several first-team players absent due to the World Cup, the Eagles’ structure is preparing to integrate several academy talents into the sessions led by Marco Silva.

Among the names who already have a place in the main group practically guaranteed are Daniel Banjaqui, José Neto and Anísio Cabral, three players seen as in-house bets for the new season. However, they will not be alone, as other youngsters will also have the chance to show their value during this preparation phase.

Given the absences caused by the World Cup and the transfer market, Marco Silva will have to turn to internal solutions to fill the gaps in the squad. Among the centre-backs being observed are names such as Joshua Wynder, João Fonseca, Rui Silva and Mauro Furtado, all under evaluation to determine whether they can make the competitive step up.

In midfield, the absence of several regular starters could open the door for João Veloso, Nuno Félix, Tiago Freitas, Miguel Figueiredo and Rafael Quintas, players who already have some contact with the first team and are now looking to establish themselves consistently.

There will also be opportunities on the wings to impress the new coach, with Jaden Umeh, Olívio Tomé, Eduardo Fernandes, Rodrigo Rêgo and Federico Coletta among the names called up to fight for minutes in this early stage. Pre-season therefore promises to be decisive in determining who could make Benfica’s final squad.

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