The Portuguese forward was only informed that he would be used when the game resumed after the team returned from the locker room; Roger Schmidt had only planned to make two substitutions at half-time; Neres is unlikely to play again this season
Rafa was forced to rush in at the start of the second half of the game between Benfica and Famalicão because David Neres informed Roger Schmidt and the medical team that he was not in a physical condition to return to the pitch. That’s why the Portuguese striker, unlike Arthur Cabral and Florentino, who replaced Marcos Leonardo and Kokçu, was not doing warm-up exercises during the break.
David Neres suffered a muscle injury in the last play of the first half. In the images you can see that the Brazilian international puts his hand on his left thigh, just before the referee blows the whistle for the end of the first half. He was re-evaluated at half-time and when he was about to go out onto the pitch he reported that he was unfit. It was then Roger Schmidt who went to the bench to inform Rafa that he would come on after the break.
The Brazilian striker was re-evaluated, this morning, at Seixal, and the injury was confirmed, which should prevent him from contributing to the team in the last two games, with Arouca, on Sunday, in Luz, and Rio Ave, in the final round. The estimated recovery time is two weeks.
