Rui Borges admits Sporting pillar has dipped in form in recent matches | OneFootball

Rui Borges addressed the issue of Sporting’s injured players and revealed that Fotis Ioannidis will continue to be left out of the squad for the next few weeks. This situation forces the coach to find solutions to balance the players’ fatigue with the demands of the schedule. Furthermore, he admitted that Ousmane Diomande suffered a drop in performance because of Ramadan.

“Ioannidis is not available and I don’t believe he will be in the coming weeks.” The coach highlighted the importance of Luís Suárez and the effort the player has put in throughout the season: “He has been a very self-sacrificing player in the sense of giving everything to the team. At times, it’s clear that he’s been outstanding, but he’s not a machine. He’s had dips in form and that’s natural,” Borges said.

Regarding the issue of the central defenders, the coach admitted that it is one of the most difficult positions to balance due to the quality and individual differences of the players. “Perhaps the most difficult position to manage is that of the center-backs. I have four fabulous center-backs, all different and all deserving to play. And it gives me headaches,” he said.

Rui Borges explained how he has distributed minutes among the players, highlighting the performances of Eduardo Quaresma, Ousmane Diomande, and Gonçalo Inácio. “Eduardo Quaresma has responded well and has had minutes. Perhaps I’m the coach who has given him the most minutes. Diomande had this drop during Ramadan, and given his physical and athletic structure, it’s normal that his energy wasn’t there. Inácio has had a fantastic season.”

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