Roger Machado could lose key defender at São Paulo: Alan Franco a doubt | OneFootball

Alan Franco was the standout defensive performer in São Paulo’s 2-0 win over Chilean side O’Higgins on Tuesday night (14) at Morumbi in the Copa Sudamericana.

The Argentine center-back led the Tricolor defense with a superb display that made him São Paulo’s leader in defensive actions in the match, with 17 in total.

And this is nothing new for Alan. Since Roger Machado’s debut in charge of the Tricolor, the big defender has also been the team’s leader in defensive actions, becoming essential to the new coach’s system.

Under Roger, Alan Franco has played seven matches, with one goal scored, 90% passing accuracy, 54% efficiency in duels for the ball, 40 clearances (1st on the team), nine tackles, 57 defensive actions (8.1/game), 36 balls recovered, and zero serious defensive errors, according to Sofascore data.

In this latest win at Morumbi, the foreigner completed 61 of 63 passes (97%), won 7 of 12 duels, made two tackles, blocked three shots, recorded 12 clearances, and had 17 defensive actions in total.

ANOTHER ABSENCE?

In the new wave of Tricolor injuries, Alan Franco is another cause for concern. The defender felt pain during the Copa Sudamericana win and nearly had to be substituted, but stayed on until the end of the match. With the squad off this Wednesday (15), the player will be evaluated more thoroughly when training resumes.

But Franco could become another problem for Roger Machado. The center-back has frequently been at Reffis with minor injuries and may end up being another absentee for the next match, against Vasco, on Saturday (18) in the Brasileirão.

The Tricolor coach has already lost Marcos Antônio, who is only expected to return after the World Cup, in addition to Ferreirinha, who missed the last match due to swelling in the back of his left thigh.

Sabino is still recovering from a calf injury and is hoping to return against Vasco. If not, Roger Machado will only have Toloi and Dória available at center-back.

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