Lingard loses place at Corinthians as form dips, Diniz backs recovery | OneFootball

Jesse Lingard’s form has dipped at Corinthians, leaving him on the fringes, yet head coach Fernando Diniz continues to back his attempt to rediscover his level.

Since signing in March, Lingard has played 25 matches, scoring two and assisting once. His best spell came in April and May under Diniz. According to Globo.com, days before the World Cup he learned of his grandfather’s illness and travelled urgently to England, with the bereavement contributing to a drop in morale.

After the World Cup, he has featured for 233 minutes, starting once and failing to affect games. Despite the team’s attacking slump, he is now low in the pecking order, with internal feedback questioning his physical readiness.

He was left out of the Rosario Central second leg in the Conmebol Libertadores because of an ankle issue. He then received brief minutes against Coritiba on Sunday.

Diniz felt Lingard offered slightly more than in previous outings and said the staff will do everything to help him return to his best.

The 33-year-old has a deal until the end of the season, with automatic renewal if performance targets are met.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”