Santos hopeful Willian Arão can face São Paulo | OneFootball

Santos are working to have Willian Arão available for the derby with São Paulo, scheduled for Friday 2 at 20:00 Brasília time at Morumbis, a rearranged round 21 Brasileirão fixture. He is recovering from pain in the internal oblique and remains only a possibility.

According to Diario Do Peixe, Arão skipped the squad session at the team’s return, and on Thursday 24 he trained indoors while treatment continued. The expectation is that he can progress and begin physical transition later this week.

Cuca’s staff view Arão as the leading option to partner Lucas Veríssimo at centre-back, with the unit short of options. Luan Peres is suspended after receiving his third yellow in the 2-1 win over Remo, and João Ananias will be away with Brazil Under-20s. Santos had weighed not releasing Ananias, but the current feeling is that Arão could recover in time to take the spot.

João Alencar is expected to provide cover from the bench. Veríssimo is the only centre-back currently assured of starting. The squad returned to work on Thursday after a day off, and Cuca now has a full week to prepare with no weekend fixture.

Álvaro Barreal has also moved into a physical transition after a left biceps femoris problem, and there is hope he could be available to face São Paulo. Neymar remains sidelined with a grade 2B injury to the right rectus femoris. Philippe Coutinho is still building fitness and has yet to make his debut.

Santos approach the derby eighth in the league on 38 points from 27 games. They are unbeaten in six, with five wins and one draw, and have won their last four.

Source: Diario Do Peixe

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