Sporting alert! Beyond Ioannidis, 2 more sat out as precaution | OneFootball

Fotis Ioannidis, Iván Fresneda and Nuno Santos were left out of Sporting’s first pre-season friendly against Torreense (2-0). While the latter two were rested as a precaution, the Greek forward was unavailable to Rui Borges due to exertional myalgia.

Although Ioannidis’ physical issue is not considered serious, the Lions’ medical department opted for a more cautious approach, given the player’s recent history. The Greek international only recently recovered from a ligament injury to his right knee and, with his physical workload set to increase over the coming days, Sporting want to avoid any risk.

His debut season at Alvalade was marked by several physical setbacks that prevented the striker from gaining greater consistency. Throughout last season, the player took part in just 22 official matches, a scenario that is now leading the coaching staff to manage his fitness carefully during pre-season.

In Ioannidis’ absence, and with Luis Suárez still unavailable due to his participation in the Club World Cup, Rui Borges has turned to the youth of the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy to fill the attacking department. Rafael Nel and Gabriel Silva were the forwards used.

In addition to the three absent players, Bruno Ramos and João Simões also remain under the care of the medical department. Both are continuing their respective recovery processes and are not yet available to take part in training without restrictions.

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