The Benfica coach, Roger Schmidt, confirmed this Saturday that Grimaldo and Rafa are ready for the derby of the 16th round of the I Liga, against Sporting, while Schjelderup and Tengstedt need time.
“All the players have been training today. We don’t have injury problems and, therefore, everyone is available”, guaranteed the German, at a press conference prior to the game against Sporting, in the press room of the training center, in Seixal.
The Spanish winger and the Portuguese striker were doubtful for the derby, after the former left due to injury in the round of 16 match of the Portuguese Cup, with Varzim (2-0), who did not play the second due to a foot distorted.
On the other hand, the January reinforcements, the Norwegian Schjelderup and the Danish Tengstedt, who have not competed since the interruption for the 2022 World Cup, will be absent from the squad for the next “two or three weeks” and need to recover their rhythm.
“I hope they develop very well here at Benfica. It’s a big step for them, coming from the Scandinavian leagues to a great club like Benfica. They are very talented players. They had a six-week break before the World Cup, They were starting their preseason-season and they are not at the best physical level. They will not be in the team in the next two or three weeks”, began explaining Roger Schmidt, when evaluating the footballers.
Thus, the coach considered that, first, you have to “mould them”, in addition to having to “adapt to your teammates and the style of play”, with the aim also of “recovering your physical condition”: “It is very demanding to play in the Benfica with six weeks off is impossible. In the future, we believe in the two players, who will evolve very quickly”.
Before the preview for the ‘incarnated’, Rúben Amorim announced, in Alcochete, that, on Sporting’s side, Morita is not yet available and, therefore, the midfield duo will be made up of Ugarte and Pedro Gonçalves, but that, for Benfica, “nothing changes”.
“Sporting has a lot of quality in all positions. This season we played more against this type of tactical formations [3-4-3]All Champions League matches were like this. For us, it’s not that important. We know the quality of the opponent, we only adjust a little in the details, in the tactical behavior, but 90% of that is thinking about ourselves. We respect Sporting, but it’s the same as when we faced Paris Saint-Germain or Juventus. We always talk about our game,” he said.
The leader Benfica, with 40 points, receives the rival Sporting, in fourth place, with 28, in a match of the 16th round of the Portuguese Football League, at the Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon, on Sunday, at 6:00 p.m., refereed by Artur Soares Dias, from the Porto association.
Source: TSF
