Cuca assesses Santos squad as he decides who stays and who goes | OneFootball

Cuca has used 32 players in his opening months at Santos, assessing options before the next transfer window. According to Globo.com, he has prioritised in-house solutions while he weighs market moves.

Since taking charge, he has overseen 19 matches, recording six wins, eight draws and five defeats. Santos have scored 26 and conceded 22, a 45.6% points return.

In his first week he set a target to establish a 15-man core before the World Cup break, then plug gaps from within. He has handed minutes to almost the entire squad and blooded academy talent.

After his debut, a draw with Cruzeiro, he said modern schedules make it impossible to rely on 11 players, stressing the need for 14 or 15 trusted options.

That core featured Gabriel Brazão, Igor Vinícius, Lucas Veríssimo, Luan Peres, Escobar, Christian Oliva, João Schmidt, Gustavo Henrique, Willian Arão, Neymar, Rony, Rollheiser, Gabriel Bontempo, Álvaro Barreal and Gabigol.

Others played less for varied reasons. Thaciano and Gabriel Menino dealt with injuries, Miguelito earned more minutes late on before the pause, while Lautaro Díaz and Moisés alternated between chances and the bench.

Youngsters introduced include João Ananias, Rafael Gonzaga, Samuel Pierri and Davizinho. Some who were tested are unlikely to continue for the rest of the season, namely Mayke, Zé Ivaldo, Tomás Rincón and Zé Rafael.

Source: Globo.com