The Sporting CP coach looks at Friday night's contest

Sporting Clube de Portugal host GD Estoril-Praia on Friday in Liga Portugal, and coach Rui Borges previewed the game in his pre-match press conference.

The fixture against GD Estoril Praia

"I think it's going to be one of the most difficult games we'll have this season. We're playing against a good team, a side who are very dynamic in their offensive processes. They have some things that are similar to us in terms of its idea, with a lot of positional variability. They like to have the ball, to be very dynamic, with good players in terms of decision-making, especially in their offensive actions.

At times they have some imbalances, but I believe this will expose us to different problems than the ones we have faced before, because they have very specific dynamics and are difficult to stop at times."

Possible opponents in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16

"Quite honestly, I don't look at the two teams thinking which would be the best for us to play. Above all, I'm happy that we went directly into the Round of 16, which took away some of the burden on our fixture list. We’re able to enjoy this competition to the fullest, regardless of the opposition. We will be motivated and ambitious to be able to continue the fantastic journey that this season's Champions League has been."

A possible contract renewal

"I have a contract until 2027. I am focused solely on my work this season, on the fight for the title and on continuing to contribute to the history of Sporting CP in the competitions in which we are involved."

A demanding schedule and squad management

"It's important to have all the players available so that we can rotate at times, even during the game, and maintain our high level. I don't know if it's the most important phase of the season. It's natural to say or think that, because we have league games, we have games in the Taça de Portugal, and we have games in the Champions League. In the cup, it defines whether we go to the final or not; in the Champions League, it defines whether we get to the quarter-finals or not.

Therefore, it is an important phase for the competitions in which we are involved. There will be very competitive games, very demanding, very close, but they are also games that, in terms of motivation, the team will be super switched on and motivated to face. It’s important to have everyone available to make the team stronger."

FC Porto

"I'm focused on GD Estoril Praia. I haven't even talked about the game against FC Porto with anyone, much less with the players. I think this game is one of the most difficult, due to the quality of the team and the competence of the opposing coach, who has done a great job leading GD Estoril Praia in these two seasons.

We have to see it as the most difficult game we will have now. There's not even a chance to think about the next game. Our focus is the league. We know we are playing catch-up, because we are in second place. We want to be first and, to be first, we have to do our part. That means winning, against a good side who will create many difficulties for us in the game."

What to expect from GD Estoril Praia

"I expect GD Estoril Praia to be ambitious and press, which is what they’ve done not only with Sporting CP, but with all the opponents they have come up against. From the first meeting to the second they have changed their initial system a little, maintaining some dynamics in their positioning.

Now they have a lot of positional variability and rotation during the game. They will force us to think and even focus in different ways, especially in our defensive organisation. Their players, from midfield to further forward, have a lot of quality in their decision-making.."

Zeno Debast

"Debast is back training. He's not going to be in the squad, because he only returned a few days ago to training at 100% with the team, but he's ready to help from now on. Simply put, when he returned, he wasn't 100% and we will make decisions based on when he feels comfortable or not. He still felt some discomfort and we chose to slow down."

Player availability and offensive options

" Giorgi [Kochorashvili] is out and [Ricardo] Mangas is too. He felt a little discomfort in the last few days and is out of the game. Fotis [Ioannidis] is a doubt. His return is identical to Zeno’s in the sense that it's a very specific injury and, sometimes, there are small discomforts there that cause him to take a step back in terms of getting back to 100%.

Nuno Santos is fine. The only problem with Nuno is he has been out for so long, is that it will naturally take him some time to be at his best. The decision making is there, the quality is there, but then the physical and fitness part is missing. Time and training will give him that and, fortunately, he is feeling better and better, he is training well, so he is available to play.

In terms of Pedro Gonçalves, we have already played great games with Pote and now we had a good game without Pote. Above all, there are different players who have played in that position. More recently Luís Guilherme played, and Trincão has also played there. They are players who give us different things, but they are all important in the team's dynamics, either playing from the start or coming off the bench.

Luís Guilherme has an over 70% completion rate passing and dribbling. Pote is the player who shoots the most and second for creating the most chances. Therefore, they are different players, but I have no doubt that they are important in the team's dynamics, regardless of whether they are starters or not. Most of all, I'm happy to have more solutions available."

Luís Guilherme

"It's difficult to say whether Luís Guilherme performs better on the left or on the right. He has been playing more on the left and it is natural that he performs better on the left. Above all, he is a player who gives us quality on both sides. It was something that we had already identified and knew it could give to us. He is growing up, he is very focused and is understanding more and more quickly the dynamics of Sporting CP. He is a player who I have no doubt will be very important in the future at Sporting CP and will have a bright future, due to his quality and, above all, his intellectual capacity.”

Weeks without European games

"This time was important for us, allowing us to train a little more. Normally we don't train as such, we just rest and recover. When we have a lot of games it's “play, recover, play, recover.” These weeks gave us a little more training stimulus, intensifying some dynamics, because I really believe that repetition and day-to-day life help to internalise individual and collective behaviours. We took the opportunity to work on some defensive and offensive aspects that we haven't had the opportunity to work when there is an abundance of games. It helped stimulate some things within our idea of the game, without straying from who we are."

Racism in football

"Racism is a problem in society, not just in football. We all have to be aware of this and do better. Fortunately, I am a father, and within what is possible in terms of education, in the growth of our children and grandchildren, we have to make the world and society evolve in this direction. I think it was Pep Guardiola who spoke about teachers too, and nowadays teenagers and children are taught at school, but I think we parents have this obligation to demonstrate that we are all equal and, little by little, evolve over time and with the growth of generations -so that there is less and less racism."