São Paulo boss explains Bobadilla’s early exit: “Just a knock” | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo reassured the São Paulo fans about the situation of midfielder Damián Bobadilla, who left the Morumbi field in the first half during the 2-0 victory over Grêmio last Wednesday, in the third round of the Brazilian Championship.

Bobadilla reported pain in his thigh around the 28th minute of the first half. After falling on the field, he talked with Marcos Antônio and Sabino. Both gestured to the bench, requesting a substitution. However, the São Paulo coach stated it was just a knock.

It's worth noting that Bobadilla was coming off a sequence of six consecutive games. He was the player in the squad with the most consecutive matches alongside Alan Franco and Enzo Díaz.

“It's not the case [that he broke down due to the sequence of games], because he suffered a knock in this play we created on the right. When he controlled it, he wanted to dribble the opponent, took a hit, and felt a lot of pain. It's in the thigh. He started feeling a lot of pain and left because of that. It was just a knock,” said the coach.

To fill the Paraguayan's spot, Crespo chose Pablo Maia, who entered the field after the technical break, around 30 minutes.

In the coming days, Bobadilla will still be re-evaluated by the medical department to determine if he has an injury or not – if confirmed, it would be São Paulo's first in 2026. Currently, only two players are in the medical department: André Silva, in physical transition, and Ryan Francisco, recovering from knee surgery.

This season, the Paraguayan midfielder contributed with one goal and one assist in nine games wearing the tricolor jersey.

Situation in the standings

With the result, São Paulo extended their unbeaten streak this season and reached five games without knowing defeat, with four wins and one draw. Additionally, the São Paulo team also reached seven points and will sleep at the top of the Brazilian Championship, maintaining their unbeaten run in the tournament.

Upcoming São Paulo matches

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