New updates on Ousmane Diomande's injury and expected lay-off at Sporting | OneFootball

Ousmane Diomande is yet another headache for Rui Borges and worsens the shortage of options in Sporting’s defensive line. The 22-year-old Ivorian center-back returned from the Africa Cup of Nations with muscle discomfort, a situation confirmed by the Lions’ coach in the preview of the match against Casa Pia.

Even so, it is considered a temporary concern. According to the newspaper Record, Diomande will miss this Friday’s match mainly as a precaution, and is on track to return to the squad for the home game against PSG next Tuesday, in the Champions League.

One fact that reinforces the perspective mentioned above is that the defender was on the bench for Ivory Coast in the defeat against Egypt (2-3), in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, a sign that he was clinically fit.

On the other hand, Gonçalo Inácio returns directly to the starting eleven after serving a suspension. The Portuguese international will be the only natural center-back available from the start and should pair up with Matheus Reis in the center, repeating a solution already used recently—this time out of necessity, given the various absences in the defensive sector.

In the current 2025/26 sports season, Ousmane Diomande – valued at 45 million euros – has played 12 matches for Sporting: six in Liga Portugal Betclic, four in the Champions League, one in the Portuguese Cup, and another in the Super Cup. In total, the center-back has accumulated 947 minutes.

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