Dorival on Memphis' early substitution as Corinthians win | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior celebrated Corinthians’ qualification for the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil this Wednesday, but he left the Neo Química Arena with a concern. Forward Memphis Depay left the match against Athletico-PR still in the first half.

The player asked to be substituted in the final minutes of the first half and was replaced by Vitinho. In a press conference, Dorival explained the number 10’s departure.

“Memphis felt something, I hope it’s nothing serious and that he can recover as quickly as possible,” said the coach.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Injuries torment Dorival

Dorival once again lamented the injuries that have plagued the Corinthians squad. In the very match that marked Yuri Alberto’s return, the coach may have lost Memphis. On the other hand, he valued the solutions he has found within the group, especially from the youth academy, such as forward Gui Negão.

“It’s been four or five months since I’ve been here, and there was only one match and a few minutes against Palmeiras where they (Yuri Alberto, Memphis, and Garro) were together. We keep hoping these injuries stop, we’re having a lot. Thank God we’re finding solutions. These things have been happening frequently, but fortunately we’re finding possibilities within the group,” he stated.

The coach also spoke about his cup competition spirit. A three-time Copa do Brasil champion, he has reached yet another semifinal in his career.

“I’m very happy, it’s very hard to reach this stage in a competition that gets more and more competitive. For me, it’s very important,” he celebrated.

What now?

Having qualified, Corinthians now await the winner of the clash between Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG to find out their opponent in the Copa do Brasil semifinals. Raposa took the advantage in the first match, winning 2-0 away from home, and will decide the tie in front of their fans.

The Minas Gerais derby is scheduled for this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Mineirão.

Corinthians’ next match

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