On a spring-like March 22, Eastern Sports Daily reported on a new chapter for the Seaports, focusing on the upcoming debut of new striker Gustavo and the additional offensive pressure Vargas may take on.
Seaport welcomed former Jeonbuk Hyundai center forward Gustavo in the winter window, and his excellent back skills and heading ability perfectly fit the team's needs. However, unfortunately, Gustavo suffered an injury at the beginning of his career.
After a break for the Super Cup and the first round of the league, Gustavo's condition has improved significantly. He put in a recovery session a week before preparing for the match against Zhejiang, but the team opted to continue to recuperate during the break to avoid taking risks.
Gustavo revealed in an interview that he is preparing for the league's restart at the end of the month. With his return, Harbour will face a reshuffle in their staffing at the attacking end. The return of the international may solidify Wu Lei's place in the attacking line, while other positions may face reorganization, which will need to be further observed through training and confrontation.
Meanwhile, Li Ang has withdrawn from national team training with a thigh semimembranosus strain, making his league comeback doubtful. Xu Xin and captain Oscar have also been in varying training situations, with Xu missing Wednesday's open training session while Oscar is still recovering individually.
For outside back Vargas, he had an up and down season in 2022, having nearly left the team after an upset with Javier. But the team has high hopes for Vargas, who has gotten back-to-back starting appearances to start the new season.
Coach Muscat said that when selecting players, he does not consider the nationality or status of the player, everything is based on the team as a whole. As the season progresses, Vargas is expected to become a key player in the offensive end of the team, especially in Oscar's absence.
