Defensive absences open door, Igor Rabello could start v Vasco | OneFootball

The string of injuries in Fluminense’s defense opened up space for Igor Rabello. After returning to action in the draw against Bahia, the center back has a strong chance of starting in the derby against Vasco this Saturday, in the first leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16.

The defender came on in the 16th minute of the second half against Bahia, replacing Thiago Silva, who left the field with thigh pain. Rabello stayed on the pitch for 29 minutes and took part in Tricolor’s first clean sheet after a run of 13 matches conceding goals.

Before that, the center back had not played an official match since February, when he featured in the opening rounds of the Campeonato Carioca. Signed in 2025 to strengthen the defense, he ended up not getting much space throughout the season and saw his opportunities decrease even further after a CBF change.

The club’s initial plan was to use Igor Rabello mainly in the Brazilian Championship, while Thiago Silva would be rested for knockout matches. However, the change to the CBF calendar, which pushed the Copa do Brasil to the end of the season, altered those plans and further reduced the defender’s role.

Now, with injuries to Thiago Silva and Freytes, in addition to the already injured Jemmes and Millán, Igor Rabello appears as the main candidate to form Fluminense’s center-back pairing with Ignácio in the derby against Vasco.

Photo: Marcelo Gonçalves/FFC

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