Cuca praises Lucas Veríssimo but does not rule out rotating Santos defence | OneFootball

Cuca praised Lucas Veríssimo after Santos beat Atlético-MG 1-0 at Vila Belmiro in the 11th round of the Brasileirão, the defender impressing despite back pain. According to Diario Do Peixe, he again led the back line.

With three fronts to manage, the coach did not rule out rotating his defence, with Adonis Frías, Zé Ivaldo and under-20 option João Ananias available. Beyond the league, Santos meet Coritiba in the Copa do Brasil fifth phase and have five more Sudamericana group games.

Cuca called Veríssimo crucial and noted his understanding with Luan Peres from the 2020 Libertadores final run. He said the pair will not play every match, with others pushing through, so rotation is necessary.

He added that marking can switch between man and zonal according to the opponent, and underlined Willian Arão’s importance on the day for build-up play and defending aerial balls.

Since returning, Veríssimo has been an undisputed starter and has five appearances this year. In Cuca’s last stint, Veríssimo and Luan Peres started 23 times, delivering seven wins, nine draws and seven defeats, with 26 goals conceded and a 43% return.

Source: Diario Do Peixe