CSKA Sofia will field two Bulgarian replacements in Saturday’s Eternal Derby against Levski after Bruno Jordao and Angelo Martino were sent off in the Bulgarian Cup semifinal against Ludogorets in Razgrad.
The red cards for Jordao and Martino came after they picked up second yellow cards in CSKA’s 2-1 victory over Ludogorets in the first leg of the semifinal, ruling them out of the derby clash scheduled for 16:00 on April 25.
Jordao’s absence follows a familiar pattern: he as well missed the previous league meeting with Levski on April 13 to avoid accumulating a suspension that would have ruled him out of the Razgrad cup tie, with Petko Panayotov starting in his place that day.
Martino’s replacement is also expected to be a Bulgarian, with Andrei Yordanov the most likely candidate after joining CSKA from Botev Plovdiv in the winter; Yordanov played three matches in February, starting once and coming off the bench twice.
CSKA could be without a third starter as defender Max Ebong picked up an injury in Razgrad and is likely to miss the derby to preserve him for the return leg against Ludogorets, leaving Panayotov and Sole as the likeliest options to deputise for Jordao and Ebong.
The Bulgarian Football Union’s disciplinary committee also fined both clubs for match delays in the semifinal, with Ludogorets sanctioned for delaying the start of the second half and CSKA fined for delaying the kickoff, while additional penalties were issued for smoke bombs and thrown objects.
Who will replace Bruno Jordao and Angelo Martino in CSKA’s lineup?
Petko Panayotov is expected to replace Jordao at left-back, having started in that position during the April 13 league match against Levski, while Andrei Yordanov is the likeliest candidate to deputise for Martino in midfield.
Why might Max Ebong also miss the derby against Levski?
Ebong suffered an injury during the cup match in Razgrad and is likely to be rested for the derby to ensure his availability for the return leg against Ludogorets.