Sporting legend backs St. Juste’s return, says he’s earned it | OneFootball

The crisis in Sporting’s defensive line returned to the spotlight after the defeat against Vitória SC in the League Cup semi-final, which sidelined Eduardo Quaresma, following the absence of Ousmane Diomande (AFCON) and Zeno Debast, who is still injured. This scenario has reignited the debate around Jeremiah St. Juste, who has been excluded from the first team since last season.

In exclusive statements to Desporto ao Minuto, Carlos Xavier argued that reintegrating the Dutch center-back could make sense at this stage of the season, marked by consecutive matches and few options for Rui Borges.

“In the absence of options... I don’t know how things stand, I don’t know if there has been any backtracking on this issue, but I think it could be great for Sporting if St. Juste could return. Punishments are sometimes forgiven. It’s in Rui Borges’ hands,” began the former Lions player, who highlights the lack of solutions and the defender’s experience as relevant factors in this context.

“With all the injuries, it’s obvious that you need capable and experienced people. St. Juste has already proven he can be useful in the past, and I don’t know how long Zeno Debast’s recovery will take—I think it’s soon—but with Diomande at AFCON and Edu sidelined for a long time, we certainly have to rely on what we have... and what we have is there,” said Carlos Xavier.

However, Carlos Xavier acknowledges that the decision is not simple and depends on several parties: “Even so, I don’t know if the intention of Sporting’s management and coaching staff is to bring St. Juste back to the team or not. From my point of view, it would be an excellent addition. It all depends on everyone’s willingness.”

From the locker room’s perspective, the former Portuguese international does not foresee problems with a possible reintegration: “He is still part of the squad, whether or not he has trained with the first team. He is still a teammate of the other players. But it also depends on St. Juste’s own willingness to return to the team after being sidelined.”

Carlos Xavier leaves a final note in case the scenario does not change: “Now, if he is not part of Sporting’s plans, Sporting has one player too many and, therefore, if he is surplus, there’s no point in keeping him. In that case, the best decision would be to try to sell him.”

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