With Rincón involved, Cuca wraps up preparations for Santos return

In partnership with

Gazeta Esportiva.com

·21 March 2026

With Rincón involved, Cuca wraps up preparations for Santos return

Under the command of Cuca, the Santos squad trained at the CT Rei Pelé on Saturday morning and wrapped up preparations for the match against Cruzeiro, scheduled for 4 p.m. (Brasília time) this Sunday at Mineirão, for the eighth round of the Brazilian Championship. The big news for the match is the return of Tomás Rincón to the Peixe squad list.

The Venezuelan had not played since the end of January, when he came on at the 39th minute of the second half against Red Bull Bragantino, his only match in 2026. Now, he gets a new chance with Cuca, who had already promised opportunities to all players during his presentation this Friday.

OneFootball Videos

How the training went

On his second and final day of preparation to face the team from Minas Gerais, Cuca led a tactical and set-piece training session at CT Rei Pelé. This afternoon, the Santos delegation will already depart for Belo Horizonte.

Absences and possible return

As Cuca confirmed in his press conference, Neymar will be absent as he follows a load management schedule. In addition to him, Gabriel Bontempo is still undergoing treatment after a muscle contracture and is unlikely to be available, while Vinícius Lira is also definitely out after a knee ligament injury.

Gabigol and Lautaro Díaz cannot play against Cruzeiro, since they were loaned by the Minas Gerais team. On the other hand, Zé Rafael could be a reinforcement after recovering from a thigh edema.

Probable lineup

Thus, the probable Santos lineup is: Gabriel Brazão; Igor Vinicius, Lucas Verissimo, Luan Peres, and Escobar; Oliva, Gabriel Bontempo, Rollheiser; Barreal, Thaciano, and Rony

Standings

Against Cruzeiro, Santos will try to recover from the tough defeat to Internacional at Vila Belmiro and get back to winning ways in the Brasileirão. Peixe is 16th in the standings, with six points, and has not won in the competition for three matches. The last victory was against Vasco, almost a month ago.