Midfielder makes first start for Corinthians after injury recovery | OneFootball

Throughout the afternoon of last Sunday (20), Corinthians faced Fluminense at Neo Química Arena in a match valid for the 28th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship and lost 3-1. The Alvinegro goal was scored by center-back Gustavo Henrique in the 10th minute of the second half. The sixth straight defeat in the tournament kept Timão in 14th place with 32 points, three points above the relegation zone.

Against the Rio de Janeiro side, defensive midfielder André Luiz played 80 minutes and made his first start for Corinthians after recovering from injury. On September 16, against Estudiantes at Neo Química Arena, in the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals, the No. 49 made his first appearance for Timão since early August, when he had suffered a grade 2 muscle injury in his thigh.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The 20-year-old started the match against the Argentinians on the bench and was brought on by coach Fernando Diniz in the 21st minute of the second half to replace André Carrillo. According to Sofascore, a sports statistics app, the No. 49 posted the following numbers during his time on the field: 11/12 accurate passes, 15 touches, five carries, and two ball recoveries. His rating in the app was 6.0.

Against Fluminense, the midfielder also matched his highest minutes played on the field in the second half of the season. On July 23, in Corinthians’ 3-0 win over Remo at Neo Química Arena, in the final round of the first half of the Brazilian Championship, he had also played 80 minutes. Before that, the match in which he had received the most minutes came in late July, in the 1-1 draw against Bahia at Arena Fonte Nova, in the 20th round, when he played 77 minutes.

With André Luiz available, Corinthians are currently on a break in the schedule due to the FIFA international window. The players were given four days off and will return to training at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava next Friday (25) to begin preparations for their next match of the season. On Wednesday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Alvinegro will visit Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium for the 29th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. At the moment, Timão sit only 14th with 32 points — eight wins, eight draws and 12 losses — with 29 goals scored and 32 conceded.

André Luiz’s path in Corinthians’ first team

Developed in Timão’s youth academy, André Luiz made his professional debut in September 2025, when Timão were coached by Dorival Júnior, in a 1-0 win over Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship. Since then, he has played 47 matches for the senior team, 31 as a starter, scored seven goals and provided two assists. At that time, the player earned a place in the first team also because the club was punished by FIFA with a transfer ban related to a debt owed to Santos Laguna of Mexico.

The midfielder was also part of the squads that won the 2025 Copa do Brasil and the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil, taking part in both finals. This season, he gained even more space and had been used frequently among Fernando Diniz’s starters. This year, he is the team’s third-leading scorer of the season with five goals in 37 matches.

Stats and titles in Corinthians’ youth ranks

For Corinthians’ Under-17 and Under-20 teams, he scored 11 goals in 80 matches, with 41 wins, 15 draws and 24 losses. In Timão’s youth setup, his main titles were the 2023 Paulista Under-17 Championship, beating São Paulo in the final, and the 2024 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, facing Cruzeiro in the grand final. Last year, he was set to be registered for the Copinha, but was left out due to a knee injury and only returned to action halfway through that same season.

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