According to "Varzesh 3", Ricardo Alves was present alongside other players in the latest training session of Sepahan, putting an end to rumors regarding his departure from Isfahan and uncoordinated trip to Istanbul. Manouchehr Nikfar also denied these rumors, emphasizing that the Portuguese midfielder is in Isfahan following his training program.

The main issue for Alves remains the four-month ban related to his contract termination case with Tractor. The player and his agent assumed that the ban period had ended taking into account the offseason months, but Sepahan, to avoid any legal risk, requested a formal inquiry before featuring him.

According to Sepahan's CEO, FIFA left the exact determination of the ban's end date to the Status Committee of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the federation's reply was delivered to the club. Based on this response, Alves' suspension is calculated from the start of the league, and he will not be able to participate in official matches until mid-December. Therefore, the Portuguese midfielder's name cannot be included in the match sheet for the game against Mes Shahr-e Babak either.

Sepahan is not facing a severe shortage in terms of the number of midfielders. Omid Noorafkan, Aref Haji-Eydi, Arash Rezavand, Gholamreza Sabet-Imani, and Mohammad Karimi provide Navidkia with diverse options, but Alves' playing style differs from most of them. Delivering through balls, quickly switching play, set-piece quality, and the ability to pass the ball through the lines are attributes that can help Sepahan unlock compact defenses.

Last season, Alves played in 16 league matches for Sepahan, registering two goals and three assists. His importance, beyond direct goal and assist statistics, relates to his role in ball circulation and advancing it to the attacking third. The return of this player could free Arash Rezavand from some playmaking duties and give Moharram more flexibility to alter the midfield setup.

Of course, even after his ban ends, Alves will have to wait for the green light from Moharram. Group training helps maintain his physical condition, but a long layoff from official matches affects playing rhythm, and the coaching staff will need to manage his minutes. Sepahan hopes Alves will be physically ready when he receives authorization, so he does not lose much time reaching match fitness.

Until then, Navidkia must continue his path with the current midfield personnel. Alves trains alongside the team, takes part in tactical drills, and gets ready to return, but his share of Sepahan's matches—at least until mid-December—will be watching from the sidelines.

Source: Varzesh 3