“Sporting Winger Nuno Santos Makes Case for National Team with Impressive Stats”

Nuno Mendes (injured) and Raphael Guerreiro are usually elected, but Sporting’s number 11, who has the best statistical record, is ready to enter that battle for a place

Forty-eight games, 3271 minutes, nine goals and eight assists. This is the visiting card of Nuno Santos, who this season has defined as one of his goals to reach the National Team. The Sporting winger is having a very positive season and adds arguments to wear the Quinas jersey. Last weekend, in the derby against Benfica, under the watchful eye of Roberto Martínez, he once again performed at a great level, contributing two assists to Sporting’s goals.

Left-handed, he is used to playing with a three-man defense, linking up in the corridor with Gonçalo Inácio, one of the players called up by the national team recently. The competition, it is well known, does not give rest, but it is the Sporting winger who has the best poster, among the potential candidates for the place. Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), injured until the end of the season, played in 32 games, scored two goals and provided seven assists. Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), still in competition, another of the regulars, played 35 games, scored five goals and served his teammates on 13 occasions. Mário Rui (Naples), recently returned from injury, was on the bench of the Italian champions in the game against Inter, last weekend, and is the player with the worst competitive record this year. He participated in 27 games (2076 minutes), made seven assists and didn’t score a goal.

Nuno Mendes and Raphael Guerreiro are the main references in the corridor, but the good form of Nuno Santos and the routine of the full-back playing with a three-man defense, as Roberto Martínez usually has with his teams, could lead to the number 11 shirt appearing in the next call. It should be remembered that on Monday the national team will announce the candidates for the games against Bosnia and Iceland, qualifying for the European Championship. The first match will be on June 17th and the last on the 20th of the same month.