Five key issues São Paulo must address during this Fifa break | OneFootball

On Thursday afternoon, the squad of São Paulo reported back to SuperCT after a triple break. Amidst the Fifa date, players and coaching staff began preparations for the match against Grêmio, valid for the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Due to the break for the Fifa date, coach Hernán Crespo will have about a week to make adjustments and work on some aspects before the match. Below, the Gazeta Esportiva listed five issues that the club needs to pay attention to during this time interval.

Recover defensive solidity

São Paulo can focus on recovering the defensive solidity shown at the beginning of Crespo's work. In the last five games, the Tricolor conceded six goals, averaging 1.2 goals per game. The team even struggled to stop Palmeiras' attack last Sunday and ended up being overturned.

This season, São Paulo conceded 54 goals in 55 matches, averaging 0.98 goals conceded per game. On the other hand, the Tricolor's defense is one of the best in the Brasileirão, conceding 28 goals in 27 rounds. It's up to the club to find its way in the defensive sector, because it has already shown that it can do more.

Of course, the downturn in the Tricolor's defensive sector is due to the absences that Crespo had to deal with since his arrival at the club. Against Fortaleza, for example, the coach only had Sabino available, improvising the midfielders Luiz Gustavo and Negrucci in the back three. The medical department, in fact, could be one of São Paulo's focuses during this Fifa date.

Recover injured players

São Paulo can take advantage of the Fifa date to try to recover at least some injured players. The two players with less severe injuries are defender Rafael Tolói (injury to the left hamstring) and midfielder Luan (injury to the right leg adductor muscle).

The defender, in fact, is one of those who could be available against Grêmio if he is fit. Luan is not a starter for São Paulo, but has regained space with Crespo and is an important piece in the squad.

In addition to Rafael Tolói and Luan, the medical department also has Calleri (surgery on the left knee cruciate ligament), Ryan Francisco (rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and injury to the left knee meniscus) and André Silva (injury to the right knee posterior cruciate ligament and strain on the anterior cruciate ligament).

Get Lucas and Oscar 100%

São Paulo also counts on the Fifa date to give more rhythm to two of its main players who are returning from injury: Lucas and Oscar. The number 7 recovered from arthroscopy on his right knee, while the midfielder returned after fracturing three lumbar vertebrae.

Lucas has been available since last September 25, when he was called up and played about 25 minutes. The striker gained minutes in three of São Paulo's last four games, but has not yet returned to the starting lineup. Last Sunday, he played eight minutes against Palmeiras.

Oscar, on the other hand, has not yet returned to play for São Paulo. He recovered from the injury and returned to the team's call-up list against Fortaleza and Palmeiras, but did not leave the bench.

Both, however, are expected to be in São Paulo's starting 11 against Grêmio, next Thursday (16), in Porto Alegre (RS), for the Brazilian Championship.

Define midfield substitutes

For the match against Grêmio, São Paulo will not have midfielder Pablo Maia available, who received his third yellow card in the classic against Palmeiras and will serve a suspension. In addition, Bobadilla is also likely to be absent, as the Paraguayan national team plays in South Korea on the 14th, two days before the duel in the South.

The two formed São Paulo's midfield duo last Sunday, with Marcos Antônio further forward. Thus, Crespo will need to find a new formation in the Tricolor midfield. The coach has pieces like Oscar, Alisson, Luiz Gustavo and Negrucci in the position.

Strengthen psychological side

São Paulo is going through a period of fluctuation in the Brasileirão. The Tricolor suffered four defeats and added only one victory in the last five matches, stalling in the standings. The team is in eighth place, with 38 points.

The club was also recently eliminated from the Libertadores by LDU, from Ecuador, and can use the Fifa date to digest the result, as it faced a tough sequence of three consecutive matches, with no time to dwell on the eliminations.

Beyond that, players and coaching staff come from a very heavy match against Palmeiras, both on and off the field. After a three-day break, the Tricolor squad will need to find strength to get out of this bad phase and seek direct qualification to the Libertadores via Brasileirão.

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