Sporting: Fresneda Pushing for Top Form Return

Iván Fresneda is pushing hard to return in peak condition for pre-season training, prompting an early return to the Academy. He's already training alongside João Simões, the midfielder recovering from April surgery on his right foot's fifth metatarsal. The 19-year-old Algarve midfielder shared an image of the two teammates working diligently this Thursday.

The Spanish defender flew directly to Lisbon from Miami, USA, where he had been supporting Uruguayan teammate Maxi Araújo in their match against Cape Verde (a 2-2 draw). From Lisbon, he immediately headed to the Lions' training center in Alcochete.

It's worth remembering that the Spanish right-back finished the 2025/26 season sidelined due to a pubic injury sustained in April during the match against Estrela da Amadora, after which he didn't play again. His desire to help the team was immense, with so much at stake—a potential treble, Champions League quarter-finals, and the Portuguese Cup—but he was held back by the Performance Unit, a decision made in conjunction with the coaching staff led by Rui Borges.

Nuno Santos, the left-footed player who also ended the season in the infirmary due to muscular problems stemming from the exertion after a lengthy 15-month layoff, will certainly be at the Academy when it officially reopens on Wednesday (July 1st). Returning to Fresneda, the 21-year-old Spanish U21 international demonstrated impressive physical vitality. For instance, in the epic second leg against Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League round of 16—where the Lions overturned a 0-3 deficit to win 5-0—he covered almost 17 kilometers, a remarkable figure for a footballer. He ultimately paid the price, with interest. But now he aims to prove that, despite competition from Vagiannidis and Salvador Blopa, the starting spot at right-back is his.