Benfica face Gil Vicente on 29 October with Jhon Durán's eligibility still open

Durán's eligibility still open

Jhon Durán is in Benfica's squad for the Taça da Liga quarter-final against Gil Vicente, but coach Marco Silva has not decided whether the Colombian forward can play. Silva said on Wednesday, 28 October, that there was no decision yet. Durán was sent off after the final whistle of the ninth-round Liga match against Santa Clara on Monday, 26 October. Referee Cláudio Pereira wrote in his report that he showed the red card for 'imperceptible words' from the player. Silva said the report only confirmed his own account that the player had not been involved in anything.

The final ruling rests with the disciplinary council of the Portuguese Football Federation, which had not yet decided. Silva said he had no knowledge of any decision and asked for a faster ruling, because matches are being scheduled close together. He said he was curious to see the outcome.

“I am very curious to know what the decision will be, after what I saw, after analysing all the images and reading what was written.”

The sequence of recent and upcoming dates is set out below.

Squad and injuries

Kaminski returns to the squad after an injury picked up during the Poland international break. Silva said it would be too early to start him, so he would be an option during the match. Anísio Cabral is also in the squad. He was left out of the UEFA Youth League game against Paphos in Cyprus, as a result of the uncertainty around Durán. Leandro Barreiro remains out and will take longer to return, while Banjaqui is in the final phase of recovery but is not available. Enzo Barrenechea is gradually rejoining the group. Bah is available despite accumulated fatigue. Duarte Soares, of the B team, is injured. José Neto and Diogo Ferreira are also out of the match, both assigned to the Youth League.

The fixture and the competition

Benfica host Gil Vicente at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon on 29 October, with kick-off at 20:45 and José Bessa (AF Porto) refereeing. The winner reaches the final four, which is scheduled for January in Leiria. Benfica hold the competition's record with eight trophies from the 19 previous editions, most recently in 2024/25. Silva called the Taça da Liga a very important domestic competition and rejected the idea that it overloads the calendar. He argued that it gives many players competitive minutes, although injuries limit how much rotation the club can do.

Silva said the league remains the priority while the club still aims to win the cup.

“We do not see this competition as a chance to hand out games, but as one to win.”