Benfica squad gives Marco Silva a headache, he'll have to adapt | OneFootball

Benfica’s pre-season is progressing at a good pace, but Marco Silva is still dealing with some uncertainties in building the squad for the official start of the season. With the first competitive fixture set for just over two weeks from now, against St. Gallen, the coach may have to turn to the less experienced players.

If the heart of the defense appears to be virtually settled with the arrival of Clément Lenglet and the signing of Gabriel Índio, which is still awaiting official confirmation, the same cannot be said for the attacking department, where the 2026 World Cup has complicated the coach’s options.

The involvement of Dodi Lukebakio and Andreas Schjelderup with their respective national teams could prevent both from being available for the clash against Swiss side St. Gallen, scheduled for July 23. Faced with that scenario, Marco Silva may have only two natural options to fill the wings, forcing him to look for alternative solutions for the first official match of the season.

If the limitations persist, Marco Silva has several academy youngsters who have been involved in pre-season. Tiago Gouveia has returned from his loan spell at Nice and has been training with the first team, although his future at the Luz is still not guaranteed.

In addition to the Portuguese winger, , who could take advantage of the lack of options to earn a place in the first team and get minutes right at the start of the new season.

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