Sporting CP get their UEFA Champions League campaign underway on Tuesday night when they will face Ligue 1 side Lille OSC at home.
For the encounter, Ruben Amorim will be without four players – notably first-choice goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic, whilst another goalkeeper, Diogo Pinto, will also miss the encounter against Les Dogues. Eduardo Quaresma and Jeremiah Israel St. Juste are also absent for the Portuguese side.
In the absence of Kovacevic, Uruguayan goalkeeper Franco Israel will inherit the No.1 jersey for Sporting. As expected, prolific Swedish goalscorer Viktor Gyokeres will lead the line for Amorim’s side in their Champions League opener. He will be partnered by Francisco Trincao and Geny Catamo in the forward line. Englishman Marcus Edwards will have to settle for a place on the bench.
Sporting likely lineup v Lille
Franco Israel; Goncalo Inácio, Ousmane Diomande, Zeno Debast; Pedro Goncalves, Hidemasa Morita, Morten Hjulmand, Geovany Quenda; Viktor Gyokeres, Francisco Trincao, Geny Catamo. (L’Éq)
