Clément Lenglet missed Benfica’s final training session before the home meeting with Lech Poznań, leaving his place in Benfica Vs Lech Poznań in doubt because of a bruise to his right thigh. The issue surfaced on the eve of the fourth-round Europa League match, with kickoff set for 21:00.
That mattered because Benfica went into the game top of the standings with a maximum points tally and a 10:2 goal difference, so any last-minute change in defense could alter a side that had been moving with control. For a team carrying that kind of form, one missing centre-back is the sort of detail that forces a quick rethink rather than a long wait.
A Bola said Lenglet did not take part in the 15 minutes of Benfica’s session that were open to media representatives, and that was the final workout before the match against the Polish champions. Interia Sport added another layer to the picture, noting that he had already been absent after receiving a red card in Benfica’s 1:3 loss to Porto at the end of September and the beginning of October, then missing the game against Vitória Guimarães as well.
The awkward part is that Benfica’s timing leaves little room for certainty. The injury is minor enough to keep hope alive, but serious enough to keep his name on the doubt list right up to kickoff. If he cannot go, Benfica will have to face Lech Poznań without one of the defenders it expected to have ready for a night built around extending its perfect start.
Lech Poznań arrive with a different recent story, having picked up their first points of the European campaign only after a 1:1 draw with Sunderland. For Benfica, the question now is not the table but the lineup: whether Lenglet is fit enough to step in when the match begins at 21:00.
