Injuries to Vasco starters open the door for ‘forgotten’ squad members | OneFootball

The planning of Vasco da Gama for the midfield in 2026 has undergone significant adjustments due to the medical and technical circumstances of the squad. The management and coaching staff have defined the future of players under evaluation, creating two distinct scenarios: those who play to stay and those who play to leave. The most emblematic case is that of the Argentine midfielder Juan Sforza. Although he is scheduled to participate in the Campeonato Carioca, the player is not part of the plans for the rest of the season.

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Sales Strategy at Vasco

The use of Sforza in the State Championship is purely strategic: the club wants to showcase him to attract interested parties. The goal of the football department is clear: to seek a new loan or, preferably, a permanent sale to recover part of the investment and open up a foreign player slot. His stay in the main squad for the Brasileirão is practically ruled out.

Sforza is expected to be negotiated again – Photo: Leandro Amorim / Vasco

Injuries Open Opportunities for Duo

On the other hand, necessity has spoken louder for two other athletes: the recently returned Maxime Dominguez and the youth talent JP. Both will be “closely observed” and will have real opportunities to prove themselves. The decision is directly influenced by the lack of options in the sector. With the serious injuries of Mateus Carvalho and Jair, who are only expected to return in the second half, Vasco was forced to find homegrown solutions.

Currently, coach Fernando Diniz has a limited number of available midfielders: only Barros, Thiago Mendes, Tchê Tchê, and Hugo Moura (who may also be negotiated) are fit. In this scenario of “short blanket,” Maxime and JP gain crucial lifelines to prove they can be useful in the team’s rotation while the starters recover in the infirmary.

JP trains hard with the team – Photo: Dikran Sahagian/Vasco

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