Fernando Diniz to use pre-season and Carioca start to assess Vasco squad | OneFootball

Vasco’s pre-season and the first rounds of the Campeonato Carioca will serve as an observation period for coach Fernando Diniz. The coach intends to use this time to test players from the squad, with special attention to academy athletes and names returning from loan, aiming to define who will be part of the group for the remainder of the 2026 season.

There is still no decision on when the main players of the squad will be used in the State Championship. Internally, there is an expectation that the main team will be fielded in the classic against Flamengo, valid for the third round, but the decision has not yet been confirmed.

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Fernando Diniz and president Pedrinho at Vasco’s team presentation — Photo: Reproduction / Vasco TV

The group that returned before the main squad includes several athletes who will be directly evaluated by Diniz. Fuzato, Lucas Freitas, Leandrinho, GB, Garré, and Adson are already part of the professional squad. Meanwhile, Lyncon, JP, Estrella, and Maxime will be observed in more detail during training and the initial matches.

Juan Sforza, who is returning from loan, will also be tested in training and may be included in the match squads, although he is not in the club’s plans for the rest of the season. In addition to him, other academy players such as Mutano, Medina, and other youngsters are being closely monitored by the coaching staff.

There is also a possibility of testing main squad players in the first rounds of the Carioca. Hugo Moura, for example, may be used as an improvised defender due to a lack of options in the position, which is still awaiting reinforcements such as Alan Saldivia, whose signing is in progress.

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Diniz leads Vasco’s training during pre-season / Credit: OneFootball – Nacional

The tendency is for Vasco to play with an alternative team in the initial rounds of the Campeonato Carioca, initially under the direct command of Fernando Diniz. The club’s debut in the Campeonato Brasileiro is scheduled for January 28, against Mirassol, away from home.

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