Will Vasco’s new signings feature in the derby against Botafogo? Find out | OneFootball

Robert Renan and Matheus França, Vasco's reinforcements in this window, are already regularized and will be listed for the decisive game against Botafogo, this Thursday, at the Nilton Santos Stadium, for the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil. The question that remains is: will they already gain space among the starters?

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Robert Renan will wear shirt number 30 at Vasco — Photo: Dikran Sahagian / CRVG

The answer, at least at this first moment, is no. Despite the expectation of the fans and the coaching staff, the tendency is that the two reinforcements will remain on the bench in the classic.

The main reason is Fernando Diniz's confidence in the current starting formation. In defense, Hugo Moura and Lucas Freitas are in good phase and had a great performance in the first leg against the rival. Putting Robert Renan directly as a starter in a knockout stage, without having been tested before, is seen as risky. The competition for the position tends to happen in the medium term, especially between Renan and Lucas Freitas.

With Matheus França, the scenario is similar. The attacking midfielder, loaned by Crystal Palace, is considered a piece of great quality for the future, but the offensive sector already has consolidated names: Coutinho, Nuno Moreira, Rayan, and Vegetti are absolute in Diniz's team. In addition, the coach still counts on Andrés Gómez and David as alternatives.

Another factor that weighs is the synthetic turf of Nilton Santos. As both have come from long periods without a sequence of games — Robert Renan has not played since May for Al-Shabab, and Matheus França has less than 100 minutes on the field in the last 18 months — there is extra care from the medical department to avoid risks.

Still, if necessary, especially in defense, Renan can be called up. In the attack, França competes for minutes with options like Gómez, David, Garré, and Alex Teixeira.

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Matheus França in action in the match between Sport and Vasco — Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

The expectation at São Januário is that, in the short and medium term, both Robert Renan and Matheus França will fight for a starting position. Both arrived at the recommendation of Fernando Diniz and are seen as strategic reinforcements for the rest of the season.

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