Corinthians eye league debut, hope for Memphis’s first appearance | OneFootball

The Corinthians debut in the Brazilian Championship this Wednesday, against Bahia, at 8 PM (Brasília time), at Vila Belmiro, in Santos (SP), and they are eagerly anticipating the return of a crucial player for the starting lineup: Memphis Depay.

In a press conference last Sunday, coach Dorival Júnior revealed that the recovery of the number 10 is “accelerated.” Thus, the tendency is that he will be available for Corinthians' debut in Serie A. Last Monday, he trained normally with his teammates.

“Memphis is already accelerated. I'm sure that for the next match we will have him in condition,” said the coach after the victory over Velo Clube.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

The Dutchman has not yet made his debut this season. He started 2026 in a process of muscle rebalancing, according to the club, after ending last year under strain. The player suffered from a bone edema in his left knee between November and December.

Even if he is available to Dorival for the match against Bahia, Memphis is not expected to start for Corinthians. The medical department and the coaching staff of Timão are likely to exercise caution with the player's physical condition, precisely to avoid losing him for a longer period.

Expectation is to have Memphis 100% in the Supercup

Corinthians are working to have Memphis Depay in full physical condition for the Brazilian Supercup final against Flamengo. The match kicks off this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time), at Mané Garrincha, in Brasília.

There is an expectation, therefore, that the Dutchman will gain minutes in the second half of the Brazilian Championship debut. The club is working with the possibility of giving game rhythm to the number 10 in the last game before the Brazilian Supercup final.

The plan for Corinthians, in this way, is for Memphis to gradually receive minutes and possibly start in the clash with Flamengo, in Brasília.

Return of the GYM trio excites

With Memphis returning to the field, the comeback of the GYM trio (Garro, Yuri Alberto, and Memphis) restores hope to Corinthians fans. The three players were essential in 2024 and also had good moments last season.

In 2025, however, the GYM trio did not have the same success, largely due to the physical problems faced by Memphis, Garro, and Yuri. Now, the expectation is that the players can renew their partnership for another year and bring more achievements to Timão in 2026.

Dorival satisfied with rotation

Amidst a tight schedule and the absence of Memphis, Dorival Júnior has implemented a rotation scheme to preserve the physical integrity of the squad at the start of the season. The coach is trying to manage the group amidst three tournaments (Paulistão, Brasileirão, and Supercup) and has been able to balance rotation with results.

Considering Corinthians' position in the Paulista table (fourth place, with eight points), the coach is satisfied with the balance found in the rotation system.

“Could it be a little better? Maybe, if we had a slightly more robust squad and the entire squad in condition to play. That's not the case. For me, it's satisfactory so far. Is it ideal? No, but it's within a context, given the short recovery and work time, and because we practically had three classics in sequence: Red Bull Bragantino, Santos, and São Paulo, very tough games,” he declared.

Upcoming Corinthians matches

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.