Maycon, André, Hugo Souza: Corinthians boss assesses squad options

In partnership with

Central do Timão

·19 October 2025

Maycon, André, Hugo Souza: Corinthians boss assesses squad options

By Daniel Keppler / Central do Timão Newsroom

Right after Corinthians’ 1-0 win over Atlético-MG on Saturday night, the 18th, in a match played at Neo Química Arena for the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship, coach Dorival Júnior gave a press conference in which he highlighted the consistency that, in his view, several players in the squad have been showing—something that, according to him, is a goal pursued by the coaching staff.

“We want consistency so that results are positive. Matheuzinho, Gustavo, Raniele, Bidu, and Bidon have been very consistent. Maycon, over the last 15 games or so, has been playing a very solid campaign, important for us. We’ve already played with Félix at full-back, with Hugo inside, we brought in academy boys whom few believed in. I believe this work will yield positive things for the club. We just need calm and patience so that, suddenly, we can celebrate good things.”

OneFootball Videos

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

He also took the opportunity to talk about some players, such as Maycon—the coach emphasized his confidence in the midfielder, who scored the winning goal in Itaquera. “He’s a player I like a lot and, above all, I have a lot of confidence in. I didn’t understand how a player of this level had unlearned; a situation like that wasn’t possible. Players go through ups and downs, like all of us, and it’s in those moments that they show the difference,” he said.

Midfielder Martínez was also mentioned—the Venezuelan was once again left out of the squad after six days absent from training for alleged family reasons. Dorival explained the decision: “Martínez was left out because he had an issue, he only trained for two days and there was no way to bring him. It’s not permanent; he explained the situation. From now on, he’s integrated and will fight for his spot, respecting his teammates.”

Dorival also mentioned André’s situation. The youngster had been getting chances but got injured and did not play against Atlético-MG: “A kid who has been evolving, growing, showing qualities. He was a player who was taking up an important role, could have started. It’s a pity because the player prepares a lot for a moment like this, especially him, who was on an upward trajectory. We regret it, but we remain hopeful that he will recover as quickly as possible.

Goalkeeper Hugo Souza was also one of the topics at the press conference. For the alvinegro coach, he should continue to be called up for the National Team despite the defeat in the friendly he played during the international break. “I feel that, in this country, we look for someone to pin blame on. That, to me, has no basis whatsoever. He will not be left off the list of goalkeepers for the Brazilian National Team. He has shown quality defending our club. He’s on a good upward curve, he’s a good kid, and I believe a possible future call-up won’t be affected,” he opined.

Finally, Dorival commented on Matheuzinho’s suspension for the next game: “It’s concerning because of Matheuzinho’s consistency, the steadiness he’s been showing. He’s an effective player; we do have options to work with throughout the week. Jacaré is in a process of evolution, improving a lot. We have Félix, Hugo playing on his weaker foot, maybe Charles. We want to play a great game against Vitória.”

See more: