The new season’s buzz has officially kicked off. A total of 28 players reported for duty on Monday. They split into two groups. One group headed to the Benfica Campus. The other went to Hospital da Luz. Their day was packed with physical tests and medical exams. The real work on the training pitch will start tomorrow.
Coach Lage is getting ready to lead two training sessions. These will begin the preparation for the Supercup match. That big game is set for July 31st. The coach will also focus on bringing two new players into the team. Dedic and Obrador are the fresh faces. But don’t expect the roster to stay still. More new players are expected to join the squad in the coming days.
The roster on the first day included a mix of seasoned pros and eager youngsters. Here’s a closer look at the squad starting their pre-season journey:
- Goalkeepers: Trubin, Samuel Soares, and Diogo Ferreira;
- Defenders: Otamendi, António Silva, Bah, Tomás Araújo, Dahl, Obrador, Leandro Santos, Joshua Wynder, and Gonçalo Oliveira;
- Midfielders: Aursnes, Florentino, Leandro Barreiro, João Rego, Manu, Nuno Félix, João Veloso, Rafael Luís, and Diogo Prioste;
- Forwards: Pavlidis, Tiago Gouveia, Bruma, Aktürkoglu, Prestianni, Henrique Araújo, and Tengstedt.
One player, Schjlederup, was given special permission. He will join the team on Wednesday. He needed to attend his maternal grandmother’s funeral. It’s a somber note on what is otherwise a hopeful start to another football calendar.