Sporting suffer injury blow ahead of Arsenal 2nd leg

Sporting suffer injury blow ahead of Arsenal 2nd leg

Ivan Fresneda is expected to miss Sporting CP’s match against Arsenal on Wednesday, but club captain Morten Hjulmand is back after suspension.

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Sporting CP made a few changes to their team during their league match away to Estrela Amadora at the weekend, dropping usual starting centre-back Ousmane Diomande to the bench and leaving his defensive partner Goncalo Inacio out entirely.

But O Jogo report that both players are expected to start on Wednesday against Arsenal, with club captain Morten Hjulmand also expected in the lineup after missing the quarter-final first leg through suspension.

However, Ivan Fresneda looks like being a late absentee, with reports suggesting he hasn’t travelled due to muscle discomfort. Georgios Vagiannidis is the most likely player to come in for the Spanish right-back.

Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

Perhaps Diomande and Inacio were both partly rested with Arsenal in mind, but it’s worth mentioning that they’re also both at four yellow cards in Liga Portugal, one away from a one-game ban.

Unlike in the Premier League, the slate isn’t wiped clean after Gameweek 19 in Portugal.

Considering Sporting play a big match against Benfica this weekend, there was another reason not to risk the defenders against Estrela Amadora for any longer than necessary.

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O Jogo report that Hidemasa Morita is also expected to return to the Sporting lineup after his weekend rest.

Maxi Araujo, Pedro Goncalves, Francisco Trincao, Geny Catamo, Luis Suarez, and goalkeeper Rui Silva all kept their places from the first-leg match at the weekend, and they’re all set for another start in north London.