Vitinho back in full training, but André still recovering at Corinthians | OneFootball

Corinthians received good news during training held on Friday morning at CT Joaquim Grava. After recovering from a meniscus injury in his left knee, Vitinho took part in the entire session normally and showed no limitations. The forward is medically fit to return to the pitch, but his comeback still depends on a decision from the coaching staff regarding when he will be used again.

Another player who made progress in his recovery process was André. The defensive midfielder, who is being treated for an injury to the hamstring of his right thigh, took part in part of the training session with the rest of the group. Despite the improvement, the midfielder is still subject to some restrictions during training.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Agência Corinthians

There is optimism within the club that André will be available for the match against Estudiantes of Argentina. The clash is scheduled for next Wednesday at Neo Química Arena and will determine one of the semifinalists in the Conmebol Libertadores.

Friday’s training session marked the start of Corinthians’ preparation for the match against Flamengo. The teams will face each other this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã in the 27th round of the Brazilian Championship.

The players who stayed on the field for more than 45 minutes in the draw with Estudiantes last Wednesday did not take part in the activity on the pitch. That group did recovery work inside the training center facilities, aiming for physical recovery after the Libertadores match.

The other players had a session with the ball. Fernando Diniz led a tactical drill on a reduced-size field, with two teams made up of ten players, continuing the adjustments for the match in Rio de Janeiro.

The schedule includes one more training session on Saturday morning, again at CT Joaquim Grava. After the activity, the squad will travel to Rio de Janeiro, where they will face Flamengo.

For the match, Fernando Diniz already has one confirmed absence. Allan will not be able to face the club that owns his rights. Since the defensive midfielder is on loan from Flamengo to Corinthians until the end of the year, using him would require the payment of a R$ 2 million fine.

The board, however, does not intend to pay that amount. The tendency is for Diniz to rest part of the usual starters and use an alternative lineup at the Maracanã, also prioritizing the decisive Libertadores match against Estudiantes.

Corinthians head into the domestic clash under pressure because of their recent run. Timão have not won in four rounds and currently sit 12th in the Brasileirão with 32 points. Flamengo, on the other hand, are in a very different situation: they have 54 points and lead the competition.

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