Striker Paulinho and defender St. Only with “a bit of luck” can they recover from their respective injuries in time to play in the First League again this season, Sporting coach Rúben Amorim revealed this Saturday.
The two joined Jovane Cabral and Daniel Bragança in recent weeks in the clinical bulletin of the ‘leões’, players who will not play until the end of the season, a situation that the coach predicted would repeat, looking ahead at the press conference of the meeting with Arouca.
“There are three players, four with Dani [Daniel Bragança] that we should be lucky to play again [nesta época]. I don’t want to say this because I’m not a doctor, but I see with difficulty that they can return,” said Rúben Amorim.
The four are therefore confirmed absences for the reception in Arouca, on Sunday, in a meeting of the 28th round of the I Liga contested between the two games with Juventus, of the quarter-finals of the Europa League, in which the ‘lions’ must recovering from the 1-0 deficit they suffered in the first leg in Turin.
After several players on social networks expressed their confidence to turn the European game around, Rúben Amorim recalled that where they can show that they are “turning around, tomorrow is” [domingo]”, to Arouca, and that “winning in the championship is now the big focus”.
“The fear isn’t that they lose concentration, it’s switching the ‘chip’ back on after… It looks like we just got off the plane. That’s the big danger. But we already proved that when we came back from European competitions, we are strong,” he said.
On news returning this week to put him on the England league route, this time about Chelsea’s possible interest, Amorim dismissed comment, claiming he had already spoken about his future.
Likewise, he said he was not afraid that the coveted athletes, namely Pedro Gonçalves, would be affected by the news because “they are happy at the club” and humorously pointed out the values of the termination clauses.
“Pote’s is 80 million. So if they bring 80 million, I might take him there. Until they bring 80 million, he will stay with Sporting,” the coach argued.
Sporting will receive Arouca on Sunday in a match for the 28th round of the First Football League, which starts at 8.30 pm, at Estádio José Alvalade, in Lisbon, with Vítor Ferreira (AF Braga) as referee.
The team coached by Rúben Amorim needs to win to advance in the battle for access to the Champions League and remain in fourth place, five points behind Sporting de Braga in third and seven points behind FC Porto in second place.
Arouca, coached by Armando Evangelista, is fifth in the league, just behind Sporting, and has not lost in six games, winning four and drawing two.
Source: DN
