Zé Rafael aims to end year-long drought in Santos v Atlético-MG clash | OneFootball

Signed this season, Zé Rafael is still trying to regain his ideal physical form and establish himself at Santos. The midfielder, in fact, could break a drought of over a year against Atlético-MG on Sunday, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship.

The 32-year-old player has not played 90 minutes in two consecutive matches since June 2024, when he was still playing for Palmeiras. At that time, Verdão beat Juventude (3-1, on the 23rd) and lost to Fortaleza (3-0, on the 26th).

Since then, Zé Rafael has never managed to repeat the feat, especially due to the back problem he faced. Because of severe pain, he underwent a groundbreaking surgical procedure in football in February of this year.

After some time away, the midfielder returned to play in May. Since then, he has made 13 appearances for Santos, starting in 10 of them.

The player, however, still has not managed to play 90 minutes in two consecutive matches wearing the black-and-white shirt.

In Peixe's last match, a 0-0 draw with Fluminense, he stayed on the field from start to finish. Now, after two weeks with only training sessions at CT Rei Pelé, the number 6 hopes to repeat the feat against Atlético-MG and finally break this drought.

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