Francisco Moura's injury will force the player to take a slightly longer recovery period than initially anticipated. The full-back suffered a sprain in his left ankle during the last training session before Christmas and information gathered at the time indicated that he would be left out, at the very least, of the derby against Boavista, scheduled for tomorrow. However, according to information released today by the newspaper O JOGO, the defender will need a break of between three and four weeks before he can be an option for Vítor Bruno, which implies that he will not be present in the last round of the first round of the championship, with Nacional, and their participation in the final four of the League Cup – semi-final (Sporting) and a possible final – is seriously compromised. Considering the expected maximum period, he may not yet be available for the start of the second round, which features Gil Vicente.
On yesterday's journey, in which FC Porto prepared again for the Invicta classic, Moura was seen arriving at the Olival training center with his left foot immobilized and supported by a crutch. This image is understandable given that the problem is quite recent, but it also suggests an intermediate level of severity – which is divided into three categories. The player spent the morning undergoing treatment and will continue to do so in the coming days, especially as the variety of options for the left side of the defense has increased with the recovery of the Porto coach's bet on Galeno in the most backward position, meaning there is, therefore, no the need to hasten his return.
Moura's misfortune comes at a time in the season when he had already seen his space in the team diminish. The last time the former Famalicão was a starter was against his former club, at the beginning of December. Since then, he only played 22 minutes against Estrela da Amadora.
