In addition to Raphael Guerreiro, Fernando Santos has two right-backs capable of playing on the opposite wing
THE left-back Nuno Mendes was injured for the remainder of the World Cup it is significant, but the versatility Fernando Santos has in the position cushions the loss of a young player who had established himself both at PSG and in the Portuguese national team.
As with Ghana and Uruguay, the 20-year-old’s immediate replacement is Raphael Guerreiro. The Borussia Dortmund athlete is one of the remnants of the squad eliminated in the round of 16 in Russia, and has fewer explosions than Nuno Mendes.
For the German club, Raphael is a regular and has played 18 games this season, contributing three goals and three assists.
A second option would be to improvise right-back Diogo Dalot to fill the vacancy. The Manchester United athlete played the role a few times during his loan spell at Milan, Italy.
A third solution for Fernando Santos would be to copy Pep Guardiola and move João Cancelo to the left. The Manchester City defender is ambidextrous and has played at left-back in the City manager’s tactical scheme.
Cancelo is a more constructive full-back, who tends to play in line with the midfielders instead of giving depth through the flanks. In this way it would be a radical change in the style of play proposed by Fernando Santos for Portugal.
Against South Korea the tendency is for Dalot to start on the right and Raphael Guerreiro to play on the left, with João Cancelo on the bench.
🇧🇷The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
