Rui Borges forced into 15th change at Sporting this season | OneFootball

Rui Borges faces a delicate scenario once again, with the number of injured players increasing and several forced absences limiting options. Geovany Quenda, Pedro Gonçalves, and Nuno Santos remain out due to long-term injuries, while Ricardo Mangas, Fotis Ioannidis, and Eduardo Quaresma have recently joined the injury list. Adding to this situation is the absence of Ousmane Diomande, who is still with the Ivory Coast team at the African Cup of Nations.

Not all news is bad for the Lions' coach. Gonçalo Inácio has already served the suspension imposed after his expulsion against Gil Vicente and is available again. Geny Catamo returned to Alvalade after Mozambique's elimination in the CAN round of 16, while Daniel Bragança has gradually returned to competition, having played for Sporting B and been on the bench in the League Cup semi-final. Nonetheless, problems persist, especially with Eduardo Quaresma's injury and Maxi Araújo's suspension for the next game.

In 29 official matches played in the 2025/2026 season, Rui Borges has already used 14 different defensive lines. Fresneda and Vagiannidis have shared the right side, while on the left, there have been Maxi Araújo, Mangas, and Matheus Reis. In the central axis, Gonçalo Inácio has been the most consistent element, pairing with Diomande, Debast, and Quaresma.

For the match against Casa Pia, options remain limited. Fresneda and Vagiannidis are available on the right, Matheus Reis on the left, and Gonçalo Inácio in the center. Debast is expected to return in a few days, and Diomande could still be an option if Ivory Coast is eliminated by Egypt in the CAN quarter-finals. Regardless of that scenario, the use of the 15th defensive line of the season will be inevitable.

Sporting returns to the field on Friday, January 16, against Casa Pia. The match, part of the 18th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, against the team led by Gonçalo Brandão, will be played at 8:15 PM, at the Lions' home ground.

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