Fluminense use FIFA break to restore squad, fine-tune Marcão’s side | OneFootball

The win over Corinthians put Fluminense back in the top four of the Brazilian Championship and brought an end to a demanding run of matches before the FIFA international break. Now, coach Marcão will have a rare period to work with the squad without the pressure of having to prepare the team for another game just a few days later.

Tricolor’s next match is scheduled only for October 8, against Coritiba at the Maracanã. That means roughly 20 days without games, a period that will be divided between rest, physical recovery, and training at CT Carlos Castilho.

This week’s schedule shows the strategy adopted by the club. After a day off on Monday, the squad will train on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, always at 9:30 a.m. After that, the players will once again have three days off, from Friday to Sunday.

The break comes after a demanding stretch that included matches against Athletico-PR, Atlético-MG, Platense, and Corinthians, some of them away from home. The gap therefore allows the football department to reduce the physical workload and give the players time to recover.

In addition to rest, the FIFA international break could be important for helping players regain form after not yet showing the level of football expected from them this season.

One such case is Savarino. The Venezuelan forward has had few opportunities since Marcão took charge of the team and has still not managed to make the most of the chances he has had. With more training time, the coach will be able to work on individual aspects and try to restore the player’s confidence, as he is considered an important piece for the remainder of the year.

The coach has already managed to revive players who have taken on bigger roles in recent matches, such as Hulk and Serna, and he is also monitoring the progress of Lucho Acosta.

The Argentine had been going through an inconsistent spell, but he has once again been directly involved in Fluminense’s attacking play in recent games. The break therefore appears as an opportunity to consolidate that recovery and expand Marcão’s options for the decisive stretch.

Time to correct team details

The period without matches also changes the coach’s work routine. During the run of games, the need to help players recover and quickly prepare for the next match reduces the time available for more in-depth tactical training.

Now, Marcão will have weeks of work to develop patterns of play, adjust positioning, improve understanding, and correct problems seen during matches.

The initial schedule includes three days of activities this week and another run of training sessions after the break. The trend is for the coaching staff to use this window to gradually increase the workload and prepare the squad for a final stretch that will be decisive.

Fluminense is still fighting for important positions in the Brazilian Championship and also has the Copa Libertadores semifinal against Palmeiras ahead. For that reason, getting players back and improving the team’s collective play could make a difference when the season definitively enters its most important phase.

Until then, Marcão has gained exactly what was missing for much of the season: time to work.

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