Pre-selected by Ancelotti, Marcos Antônio sidelined by São Paulo injury | OneFootball

São Paulo confirmed on Monday (25) that midfielder Marcos Antônio suffered a muscle injury in the posterior region of his left thigh. The player has already started the recovery process at REFFIS Plus and the club's expectation is that he will be available to the technical staff for the duel with LDU, in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores.

The injury occurs just on the eve of the official call-up of the Brazilian National Team, which will be announced by Carlo Ancelotti on Monday. Marcos Antônio is on the coach's list of pre-selected players and was being seen with good eyes to appear among the names that will defend Brazil against Chile and Bolivia, in the South American Qualifiers.

The number 20 left the field still in the first half of São Paulo's 2-0 victory over Atlético-MG, on Sunday (24), at Morumbi. Feeling the back of his left thigh, he fell to the ground with strong pains and needed medical attention. The player was taken out on a stretcher and replaced by Rodriguinho.

On loan from Lazio, Italy, Marcos Antônio is living his best moment since arriving at São Paulo. With good performances, he became an absolute starter in midfield, sharing marking and ball exit functions alongside Bobadilla and Alisson. His rise caught the attention of Ancelotti and members of the National Team's technical staff, who followed in loco matches of Tricolor, such as the duel against Atlético Nacional, for the Libertadores.

Now, the midfielder will have his call-up put in doubt. If he is not released on time, he will miss the opportunity to defend the Brazilian National Team for the first time. Meanwhile, he will continue treatment at REFFIS Plus, in an intensive regime, to try to return in the next decisive commitments of Tricolor.

Brazil is already classified for the 2026 World Cup and faces Chile on September 4, at Maracanã, and Bolivia, on September 9, at the Municipal Stadium of El Alto, at an altitude of over four thousand meters.

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