Porto boss Vitor Bruno has denied claims that Fabio Vieira will be recalled by Arsenal.
Vieira returned to the Portuguese club on loan in the summer and has made 17 appearances in all competitions so far. He had a difficult time at Porto after joining the Gunners for £34m in the summer of 2022.
It was hoped that a return to his old club could help revive his career. But the midfielder was surprisingly left out of the squad entirely following Porto's thrashing of Boavista on Sunday.
That led to suggestions he could return to Arsenal in January, with some fans citing a private jet leaving Porto for London on Sunday morning. But Bruno has now insisted he expects Vieira to stay for the entire campaign.
“I have to make decisions, pay close attention to the players' performances and how they see their daily activities. Fábio is very talented, but talent must be based on a series of assumptions,” Bruno said after the win. above Boavista.
And if one or two of them fall apart, everything becomes more difficult. He has enormous potential and I have a large team that offers me guarantees. I cannot give up certain principles that are mine.
“I don't have to pass on a message. Fábio knows me well and we are counting on him. He will be available to play again next week. So it is a matter of making decisions.”
It is believed that Vieira's exclusion from the squad is not a result of a recall, but a recall. According to A Bola, Vieira was late for training during the week, which led to Bruno being imposed a disciplinary measure, in accordance with the club's internal regulations.
Vieira has helped Porto overhaul early leaders Sporting Lisbon and emerge as frontrunners to win the Primeira Liga. He scored twice and assisted a further two goals, with Bruno labeling him a 'genius' in October.
“Fabio is Fabio, he is no longer a rookie, he has genius in him, that quality is innate, but more important is everything else he has done,” the Porto boss said earlier this season.
“What he has done over the last four or five years, he will continue to do well. He did the rest and gave very strong signals to me and the technical team so that we can make decisions.”
With Arsenal well in midfield, a recall for Vieira wouldn't make much sense. Instead, he will likely prepare to travel to Nacional with Porto on Friday, should Bruno decide his sentence has been served.
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