Benfica go to Omonia Nicosia on Thursday in Nicosia for matchday 3 of the Europa League league phase, but the main issue is who is fit enough to travel with a full role in the side. Jakub Kamiński is recovering from a muscle injury in his left thigh and is doing individual training. Daniel Banjaqui is in the same position with a muscle injury in his right thigh and individual work of his own.
Benfica's fitness watch
Benfica are likely to rotate and bring in players with less playing time for the trip to Cyprus. That fits a side that has won four of its last five matches, including wins over Celtic and Guimaraes, and sits third in the Europa League table with six points from two games and a five-goal difference.
The absence watch is not a disaster for Benfica, but it does matter because Kamiński has already shown what he can do in Europe this season. He has one appearance, one goal and one assist in the Europa League for Benfica, and his 7.9 rating came in the 2-0 win over Milan. If he is not ready, the side loses one of its sharper European outlets before a tricky away game.
Omonia arrive in good shape too, with five straight wins and six points from two matches. Benfica's edge is the broader squad momentum, but Thursday still depends on late training decisions rather than anything settled early.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
