São Paulo to use FIFA break to get Tolói, Franco fit, Crespo may tweak tactics | OneFootball

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

With the classification to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores secured, coach Hernán Crespo should start testing variations in his game system from the duel against Atlético-MG, on Sunday (24), at Morumbi, for the Brazilian Championship.

But one is mistaken who thinks that the Argentine commander is looking for alternatives to his already traditional 3-5-2 only for technical reasons. Far from it. In fact, the change will be made out of necessity.

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This is because Crespo has two problems. And right in the most lacking sector of the squad: defense. They answer to the names of Rafael Tolói and Alan Franco.

Announced last week as one of the club's reinforcements in this transfer window, Tolói, 34, has not played since June, when his contract with Atalanta, from Italy, ended.

Because of this, the player has been working normally with the squad, but needs time to recover his best physical form. The initial estimate is that it will take at least ten days for him to be fit.

Okay, the expectation is that Tolói would already be a São Paulo player for the match against the Minas Gerais team this weekend. This is due to bureaucratic issues, since his name has not yet appeared on the CBF's BID (Daily Informative Bulletin).

But the internal plan at Barra Funda goes beyond that to some extent. After Atlético, São Paulo will face a commitment against Cruzeiro, next Sunday (31), away from home. Theoretically, the time would be enough to meet the deadline set by the physical trainers. But it happens that soon after, São Paulo will gain a break motivated by the FIFA Date. And only returns to the field on the weekend of September 14, against Botafogo, at home.

A perfect opportunity for Tolói to improve his physical condition and be definitively fit to play.

And that's where it is: he won't be the only one...

Who is in an identical situation is Alan Franco. Now with a renewed contract, the Argentine has been struggling with foot pain and has been playing in sacrifice. Not surprisingly, he was substituted in the last two games, where he started playing and ended up on the bench to receive ice applications. Without a detected injury, the diagnosis is indeed one of wear and tear due to the accumulation of games.

And that's where Crespo's forced change comes in. Already without Arboleda, injured and who should start his transition soon, the internal idea is to spare Tolói and Franco so that they return after the FIFA Date in full condition. With a view, of course, to the continental quarterfinal match against LDU (the games are scheduled for the weeks of September 17 and 24).

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