Sporting boosted by positive news on Fotis Ioannidis’ return | OneFootball

Luís Suárez has been meeting the demands and is going through an extended period of use, having played every minute of Sporting's last ten games, but he is preparing to face competition in the attack again. This role is expected to be taken on by Fotis Ioannidis, who hasn't competed for almost a month - his last match was in early January, against Vitória de Guimarães, in the final four of the League Cup - and who, according to the newspaper A Bola, is in condition to play some minutes in Thursday's game against AVS, counting for the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup.

The Greek international, who has scored six goals and provided three assists in 21 matches for the Alvalade team in his debut season in Portugal, has shown positive signs in recent days and could be used from the bench, with the aim of gaining rhythm and becoming an option for the classic scheduled for next Monday against Porto.

This scenario is good news for Rui Borges, who until now has only had Luís Suárez as an alternative in the offensive sector - and who can finally be managed strategically -, following Rodrigo Ribeiro's departure. Rafael Nel, a 20-year-old forward, has been the other option on the bench, although he has not yet been used.

The match against AVS, which could secure the Lions a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup, is expected to feature some rotation in the starting eleven. The coach intends to present the team in the best physical condition for the duel with Porto, which should lead to changes in various sectors. While Morten Hjulmand has a guaranteed spot in the starting eleven, as confirmed by the coach himself after the game against Nacional, other players emerge as candidates for an opportunity, including Daniel Bragança, Geogrios Vagiannidis, Ricardo Mangas, Giorgi Kochorashvili, Luís Guilherme, and the most recent signing, Faye.

With the imminent reintegration of Ioannidis into the group of available players, Rui Borges now has a wider range of solutions, something he has rarely had throughout the season. With the recent return of Nuno Santos - who already played minutes for the B team on Sunday -, only Salvador Blopa and Quenda remain in the final stage of recovering from their respective injuries.

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