Benfica's Taca de Portugal third round encounter against Cova da Piedade will go ahead at Piedade's home stadium of Jose Martins Vieira Municipal Stadium on October 18 at 8:30pm WEST.
Cova da Piedade needed to meet conditions to host the game at their stadium in regards to the lighting for an evening broadcast. They were given the green light on Thursday that the condition has been met and they can proceed to sell tickets to host last seasons Portuguese League Champions. Piedade's home stadium has a seating capacity of 3,500 and the club expects the game to be sold out for this encounter.
Benfica SAD has informed manager Bruno Lage that the club has money for reinforcements when the January transfer window opens. Lage is looking to add an experienced keeper with youngsters Ivan Zlobin and Mile Svilar the current club options if starter Vlachodimos were to go down with injury. Lage is also looking for a more versatile striker, ala Joao Felix as his preferred playing system requires this type of player. Benfica's current two striker experiment of Seferovic and Raul de Tomas has been a disappointment to date as both players are desinged from the same mold. Benfica also may look to add a central midfielder who's specialty is getting the ball from the midfield to the strikers while playing between the lines but with Chiquinho getting closer to returning to the club from injury, this requirement is lower on Lage's to do list. Benfica did discuss Juventus keeper Mattia Perin and Freiburg forward Luca Waldschmidt during the summer and may return to negotiate moves for the players with their respective clubs once the transfer window re-opens.
Benfica's injury list continues to grow and you can now add winger Rafa Silva to the list of current players out of the lineup. Rafa who was called to represent Portugal in their upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers was dismissed by the national side on Monday as not being fit to perform for Portugal. Rafa is currently suffering from an adductor tendinopathy to his left thigh, the adductors are a group of muscles on the inside of the thigh that help bring your legs together. It has not been disclosed how long Rafa could be out for but he is now in the hands of Benfica's medical staff as they look to get Rafa fit for round three of the Champions League in were they will face Lyon.
