The coach looks at the game against Casa Pia AC

Sporting Clube de Portugal host Casa Pia AC on Friday in their latest Liga Portugal fixture, and coach Rui Borges gave a pre-match press conference to analyse the challenge ahead.

Casa Pia AC
"The change of coach they've made makes the game more difficult tactically. Álvaro Pacheco has already employed several formations and dynamics. It's always difficult to say how Casa Pia AC will set up, so we can't focus too much on that. They are a very competitive, intense, and strong team in duels, with good players on the counter-attack. They are very competent on the defensive side. We can't stray from what we've done since the beginning of the season to continue growing. We've had some players out, and it's natural that the team lose some intensity due to that."

Jeremiah St. Juste
"He is not part of the Sporting CP first team."

Vitória SC's Taça da Liga victory
"Congratulations to them on the victory and the achievement, for what it means to the fans, the team, the coach, and the structure there. They deserved it, and they did it."

Zeno Debast and Ricardo Mangas
"[Zeno Debast] trained today. He is available, but he had a longer time off. Just like [Ricardo] Mangas, he will be limited in terms of his playing time because he doesn't have the capacity to meet the demands of 90 minutes."

A week of training
"It was a very good week, apart from not being able to be present in a final that we wanted to play. The players had a mandatory and necessary rest. It was possible to train more normally, and the intensity, commitment, and joy in the squad were spectacular. I was happy with the team's response; they have a strong, winning, and ambitious mentality. I needed to feel that. Not because of the defeat, but because of the injuries. For the first time, I was a little down because so many people were out, but the group quickly put a smile back on our faces. Being very positive is my way. I believe that tomorrow we will give a very good response in the game."

Nuno Santos
"You have to go through the stages of recovery. He and everyone else knew that his would take longer. His mentality is extraordinary. The day before yesterday he was already telling me that he would be available in Bilbao. It's good that he's like that, because he gets motivated during a long and difficult time out. He has improved and is closer to returning, but I can't say how much time is left before he comes back. We need him, and he's an important player for the coaching staff and for the group."

Hidemasa Morita and Matheus Reis
"They are two players who are part of our plans, and who will not leave in this transfer window."

Rodrigo Ribeiro
"We listened to his own will. I had a conversation with him and said that I thought that sometimes young players want to take too many steps forward and then disappear. In his case, he emerged early, very young, and the expectation was very high. This season, he understood and accepted our idea. He was a first-team player playing games for the B team and had six fantastic months, in which he grew a lot. I admire him a lot and we didn't want him to leave, but it was his wish. He thinks it's a very good opportunity and I wish him the best of luck. The departure of one player is an opportunity for others, and there are more young players in the B team and the under-23s."

Injuries
"Ousmane Diomande came back injured from international duty and is out of the game. Pedro Gonçalves and Fotis Ioannidis remain out for now. Pote is in the final phase of his rehabilitation and I'm not sure if he will be ready for the game against PSG. For the game against FC Arouca, I believe he will have playing time. Regarding Fotis, it's very much a day-to-day process."

Luís Guilherme
"He's adapted well. He's very intelligent and likes to listen and learn. I think he can give us solutions in various areas of the pitch. From what I understand, he prefers to play on the right, but he's also a solution on the left and in the middle. At SE Palmeiras he played on the right, at West Ham on the left, and at youth level he was a number ten. He has a technical quality that is far above the norm and, in the future, he will be very important at Sporting CP."

The absence of Morten Hjulmand due to suspension
"We have Hidemasa Morita, Giorgi Kochorashvili and Daniel Bragança, all at 100%. Dani is different because he had a long spell out. He's getting minutes to keep improving. He's been improving daily and this week was important for him. He's very important for the team on and off the field. He adds a lot of quality to our dynamic."

Returns from the African Cup of Nations
"Geny Catamo came back well and is ready for the game. Ousmane Diomande's situation is beyond our control; I don't know how long he'll be out."

Sporting CP fans
"I want to send a word of encouragement and affection to our fans, who will be even more important than they have been in supporting the team. Everyone is important, and it's necessary that they believe in us as much as we do. Regardless of what may happen to us, we will try to be as competitive as possible and represent Sporting CP in the best way possible."