Porto have been dealt a blow on the eve of their decisive Champions League last-16 clash with Basel by losing prolific striker Jackson Martinez to a groin injury.
The absence of a player who has scored 17 goals in the league this season and five in six Champions League appearances is a major setback to a side who go into the second leg with a narrow advantage from a 1-1 draw in Switzerland.
It could, however, be an opportunity for 20-year-old Goncalo Paciencia to make a name for himself having joined the first team for training only at the weekend, the day after Martinez pulled his groin in the win over Braga on Friday night.
"We have got to be able to cope with our injuries," said Porto coach Julen Lopetegui at a press conference on Monday. "We've just got to accept it.
"We had to earn our place here, and now we are here.
"This is the quarter-finals of the Champions League, an opportunity to be among the best eight in the competition.
"We have got to beat opponents who have had a great season in the Champions League and have been doing well in Europe in the past two seasons."
While the Porto coach was gliding over the loss of his side's number one hitman, midfielder Casemiro was optimistic that the team will be able to make up for his loss.
"Losing Jackson is big, but I'm sure that the player who replaces him will do the best he can," he said.
"I'm positive tomorrow's match will be great."
The news of Martinez's absence was quick to hit the headlines in Switzerland, though, with the Basler Zeitung seeing that as an opportunity for a side who have only once before made the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition.
They have shown excellent pedigree in the Europa League in recent years, though, reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and the quarter-finals last year.
They too will have to do without their number one striker, albeit not until the end of the season with Marco Streller announcing at the weekend that this will be his last season as a professional.
"I was always looking for the right moment to end my career and the fact that so many people regret me making this announcement convinces me that I've found it," he said at a press conference.
"It means so much to me that the whole team have come to this press conference because without my team-mates, I would never have had such a great career.
"Now I'm very motivated to make the most of these last three months. We've still got plenty of goals to aim at."
None greater than beating Porto on Tuesday to reach the best eight clubs in Europe and give Streller at least two more games on Europe's biggest stage before bowing out.
Source: PA
