Good News for Benfica: Dedic and Tomás Araújo Are Returning!

Amar Dedic and Tomás Araújo, two of Benfica's World Cup participants, are set to report to the Seixal training center in the coming days.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina right-back exited the World Cup in the Round of 16 after a 0-2 elimination by the United States on July 3rd. He is scheduled to report on Friday, July 17th, to begin preparations under Marco Silva's guidance.

This timeline could allow the player to be available for the second leg of the Europa League second qualifying round, scheduled for July 30th against St. Gallen at the Estádio da Luz.

As for Tomás Araújo, his return to Seixal is set for Monday, July 20th, two weeks after Portugal's elimination from the World Cup Round of 16 – a 0-1 defeat to Spain on July 6th.

These two defensive reinforcements are crucial for Marco Silva, who is currently addressing uncertainties, particularly in the central defense. António Silva is departing, while Ibrahima Ba is expected to arrive.

The other World Cup players – Richard Ríos (Colombia), Lukebakio (Belgium), and Schjelderup and Aursnes (Norway) – will naturally report according to the schedule set by Benfica, based on their World Cup elimination dates and allotted vacation time.

This means all players are expected to report to Seixal next week. Logically, Richard Ríos will be the first to arrive, followed by the Norwegians, who were eliminated in the quarterfinals (a 1-2 loss to England). Lukebakio reached the same stage but played a day earlier than Schjelderup and Aursnes (losing 1-2 to Spain).