Rui Borges boosted by two key returns ahead of Sporting v Casa Pia | OneFootball

Rui Borges will have two reinforcements for the Sporting - Casa Pia match, from the 18th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic. The lions return to training this Friday, with the goal of starting preparations for the game against the geese, and the returns of Zeno Debast (injury) and Geny Catamo (AFCON) are expected.

The Belgian center-back, 22, suffered a left knee injury in the third round of the Champions League, in the 2-1 victory against Marseille on October 22, being substituted in the 80th minute. Since then, he has missed 16 matches. Although not initially expected to be a starter, the various absences in the defensive sector may accelerate his integration into the starting eleven, as Gonçalo Inácio is currently the only natural center-back available. Eduardo Quaresma remains injured, and Ousmane Diomande is still with the Ivory Coast national team in the African Cup of Nations. The quarter-final match against Egypt will be decisive in determining if the defender returns in time for the clash with Casa Pia.

As for Geny Catamo, the winger returns after Mozambique's elimination in the AFCON round of 16. The 24-year-old player is already fit to be considered for the next round, and given the injuries to Quenda and Pedro Gonçalves, he emerges as one of the candidates for the starting eleven.

Before heading to the national team, Catamo was already in the process of renewing his contract with Sporting, with an extension of the bond until 2030, a salary improvement, and an increase in the release clause from 60 to 80 million euros. The official announcement should happen soon.

In Friday's training, the injured players Salvador Blopa, Eduardo Quaresma, Mangas, Quenda, and Pedro Gonçalves are expected to remain absent. Fotis Ioannidis will be re-evaluated, and his potential return to Sporting's training without limitations will depend on this assessment. Nuno Santos continues his physical recovery process. For the game against Casa Pia, Morten Hjulmand and Maxi Araújo are serving suspensions.

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