Will São Paulo have their internationals back for Corinthians clash? | OneFootball

São Paulo is still dreaming of a spot in the Libertadores and faces a tough challenge in the middle of the week. The Tricolor Paulista visits rivals Corinthians this Thursday, starting at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena, for the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship. The derby takes place after the last FIFA international break of the year.

São Paulo had three players called up by their respective national teams for this FIFA break. Defender Ferraresi (Venezuela), midfielder Bobadilla (Paraguay), and forward Tapia (Chile) joined their national squads for friendlies. Due to the close scheduling, there is still some doubt about the trio’s presence in the Majestoso, but the expectation is that all will be available.

Ferraresi, Bobadilla, and Tapia landed in São Paulo between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the day of the match. The three returned from their national teams on chartered flights and, depending on their physical condition, may be included in the squad for the Majestoso.

The São Paulo trio will be evaluated before any decision is made by the coaching staff, who are facing a dilemma. The Tricolor has already been dealing with a huge wave of injuries this season and does not want to risk losing any more players in the final stretch of the Brasileirão, especially while fighting for a Libertadores spot.

Despite this, the match against Corinthians carries extra weight for two reasons. Besides being a derby, it is also a direct clash with a rival who is also seeking qualification for the continental tournament. A win, therefore, would be crucial for São Paulo’s ambitions and would boost the team’s morale.

Of the called-up players, Bobadilla and Tapia had been starters under Crespo before the FIFA break. Ferraresi, on the other hand, had lost his spot in the starting eleven but continued to receive occasional opportunities and remains an important part of the squad, which is currently dealing with a total of 12 absences.

São Paulo players during the FIFA break

São Paulo’s players had significant roles in their national teams’ friendlies during this FIFA break. Bobadilla, for example, started and played the full 90 minutes against the United States. Against Mexico, he came on at halftime and scored the winning goal for Paraguay in the friendly.

Tapia, meanwhile, started against Russia and played 59 minutes. He opened the scoring for Chile, netting his first goal for the national team. Against Peru, the Tricolor forward came on in the second half and played about 30 minutes but did not score.

Ferraresi, finally, was the São Paulo player with the most minutes during this FIFA break. The defender played a total of 180 minutes—he started and finished both games for Venezuela. His national team defeated Australia and then lost to Canada.

Bobadilla celebrating Paraguay’s victory (Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @albirroja)

Upcoming São Paulo matches

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