Information from Sporting CP's medical department

Sporting Clube de Portugal's medical department has released the following clinical information:

Rui Patrício: muscle strain in the left thigh

Lukas Spalvis: recovering from knee surgery

Ezquiel Schelotto: muscle injury in the right calf

Rúben Semedo: muscle injury in the right thigh

Jorge Jesus warns of tough trip across Lisbon to face Os Belenenses

"It is always hard to play in Restelo. (Os Belenenses) are having a good season and they have taken points off one of our rivals already", alerted Jorge Jesus in his pre-match press conference this week, ahead of Thursday's trip across Lisbon to face Os Belenenses).

Looking at Os Belenense in further depth, Jesus added: "They are flying high on some good results right now, they play some competitive football and they will try and work to their strengths against us. However, we will of course be looking for the three points."

Sporting CP's recent results are a far cry from Alvalade's ambition's, however Jesus sees this as the perfect chance for his side to get back on track: "Since I came in here, we have almost always own. We started this season really well and this kind of crises only started this week. It comes from going to Luz just two points behind and coming away five behind. Of course the league is our objective, but we a fighting hard on all fronts."

Alvalde youngster scooped award in August and September

Gelson Martins was officially presented with the Young Player of the Month awards for August and September this Wednesday, in a ceremony held at the Sporting Academy after the day's training session.

"This is recognition of my individually work and the whole team. I am happy, it is a nice award for everyone. A player can't do anything on their own", said Gelson in an interview with Sporting TV.

Semi-final encounter with V. Guimarães or Sp. Covilhã awaits the winner

Sporting CP will travel to Desportivo Chaves in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals. The fixture will be played from the 17th to the 19th of January. The round's other matches are Benfica-Leixões, Sp. Covilhã-V. Guimarães and Estoril-Académica.

The draw also set up the semi-final fixtures, with the winner of Sporting CP's match to face the winner of Vitória Guimarães or Sporting Covilhã.

Sporting CP's director for football, Octávio Machado, was at the draw and was keen to alert to the dangers of a Cup visit to Chaves: "It is always a nice trip and it is the chance to take some good football to a part of the region that has been denied of that in recent years. Chaves are a team that demand our respect and they have already knocked out FC Porto. That won't take away from our determination and we want to reach the final of this competition."

Sporting vice-president Carlos Vieira mets with Goianense counterpart to agree new relationship

The Brazilian club Goianense were in Alvalade this Sunday, to watch the hosting of Lida NOS hosting of Sp. Braga. At the end of the match, both Sporting CP and Goianense sat down to put pen to paper on a protocol between the two clubs.

Representing Sporting's was vice-president Carlos Vieira and board member Luís Roque, along side the Goianense vice-president Marcos Egídio, director for sport Adson Batista and the sports consultant Evandro Pereira.

Speaking about the agreement with the Sporting Journal, Luís Roque affirmed: "This protocol is in line with others already made in relation to youth training and some professional football topics. Essentially, it provides for the exchange of youth players between the two teams. It gives Sporting CP the possibility of getting closer to young players breaking through in Brazilian football, namely with Goianense. This partnership also allows for the exchange of coaches, which will give us the chance to contribute to the technical side of things in youth football. There is also a space for options to bring players to Portugal from Goianense and that gives us a very important competitive advantage."

The Brazilian club's vice-president, Marcos Egídio, didn't hide his satisfaction with the deal: "We are really happy to be here in Alvalade. It is a real honour for us to have the opportunity to agree a partnership with a club that is so big on the world stage. It is a club that has always produced players for world football and we will try to bring a bit of Brazilian culture to this exchange."

Wilson Eduardo's 70th minute stike takes three points in Alvalade

Sporting CP slipped to a harsh defeat against Sp. Braga (0-1) this Sunday evening, on Liga NOS matchday 14.

As expected, Jorge Jesus' team took the game by the scruff of the neck early on, creating a series of chances that somehow always managed to find their way into the visiting keeper's hands. As the game progressed, it became clear that neither Bryan Ruiz or Gelson Martins were having their best night in front of goal. Meanwhile, Sp. Braga, temporarily led by the former Sporting player Abel Ferreira, managed to creep their way back into the game and strung together a handful of chances through Wilson Eduardo (6' and 15') and Rui Fonte (32').

After a frantic spell of attacking football down both ends, Gelson came agonisingly close to opening the scoring, when he drilled a shot against the post on the half-hour mark. Looking threatening on the break, Sp. Braga sat back an absorbed the pressure and neither side had found the back of the net when the half-time whistle sounded.

Gelson broke through on goal shortly after the restart and again managed to hit the woodwork. More organised, Jorge Jesus' side looked by far the most likely to score, but some sloppy finishing was punished by a shot from range from Wilson Eduardo with twenty minutes left on the clock.

Holding a slender lead, Sp. Braga bedded down in front of goal and sapped the pace out of the action, courtesy largely of some exaggerated stoppages. Sporting CP threw everything forward in an attempt to scrap a point, but as the final whistle blew the points headed back to Braga.

Information from Sporting Clube de Portugal's medical department

Sporting Clube de Portugal's medical department has released the following clinical update:

Markovic: Mialgia in left leg adductor muscles

Spalvis: Recovering from knee surgery

Ezquiel Schelotto: Muscle injury to right calf muscle

Jorge Jesus sits down with the press ahead of Sunday's hosting of Sp. Braga

There would be no better present for the Alvalade faithful than a win against Sp. Braga this Sunday, on Liga NOS matchday 14. However, Jorge Jesus has warned of the danger posed by the weekend's visitors from the north.

"We try to play the best football we can every week. Braga are top team though, with a long tradition. We will be facing a competent team who believe they can win points in Alvalade, so it will be a tight game", opened Jorge Jesus, before dismissing any negative impact of Braga's recent change of command: "They will be basically the same side. A new coach won't change much in a day or two. The general spirit of things were set by Peseiro, the new coach will make the spare of the moment decisions. I am expecting a strong Braga, who are just one point behind us right now."

To finish, Jesus bushed off comparisons to last season's campaign, reaffirming his side's title aspirations: "What has changed? Some played have come in and some have left and our opponents are better than they were last years. The season goes through spells and that doesn't mean it will stay like it is now. We are a much more consistent team today and our opponents recognise what we are capable of. We are competing in a league where anything can change from one second to the next. Right now we have less points than at the same period last season, but things can change."

Bruno de Carvalho speaks at 53rd Stromp Awards Gala

The 53rd Stromp Awards Gala took place this Friday, in Lisbon's Hotel Sheraton. Bruno de Carvalho was of course in attendance, along with Rui Patrício, Adrien Silva, William Carvalho, Rúben Semedo, João Matos, Patrícia Mamona and Ângelo Girão.

The Alvalade president was invited to take to the stage at the event and he didn't shy away from speaking about the Doyen case. "Everyone knows that Sporting CP has taken a few hits over the last few days. In fact not just Sporting CP, but also national and word football. If you ask me if the Doyen case was worth it, well I said in the club's general assembly that what we were doing came with risks. For me and for the club, the doyen case is a matter of principle. Sporting CP fulfills every contract, but the Doyen contract for us was not valid", said Bruno de Carvalho, adding: "I still think that it is worth defending Sporting CP. We have lost the notion that we are right and that UEFA and FIFA were on our side. World football is too twisted right now for us to carry on pacifically. Despite this defeat, we have fulfilled our financial fair play obligations and Sporting CP has made a profit of 63 million euros."

Alvalade youngsters held to a stalemate in the Lisbon B derby

Sporting CP B were held to a goalless draw by SL Benfica B this Friday, on Ledman LigaPro matchday 19.

It was a well balanced game for the most part, with both sides only springing into life in the second-half, only to be denied by some superb stops from Pedro Silva (Sporting CP) and André Ferreira (Benfica).

The Alvalade charges looked dominant in the opening exchanged, but it was in the dying stages that João de Deus' side could have taken the lead, squandering three clear chances in the last 15 minutes.