Corinthians boss facing attacking issues after international break | OneFootball

Next Wednesday (1), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), Corinthians will visit Fluminense at the Maracanã Stadium for the ninth round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship, in their first match after the break for the FIFA international window. It is worth noting that Alvinegro have not won in seven matches, with five draws and two defeats in that span. Their last victory came on February 19, a 1-0 win over Athletico-PR away from home, in the second round of the national competition.

Corinthians head coach Dorival Júnior is expected to have problems putting together the team’s attack to face the Rio club. That is because, out of the seven attacking options, three are unavailable. Last Friday (27), forward Gui Negão was withdrawn from the Brazil Under-20 squad due to a grade 2 injury to the back of his right thigh. 

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

Kaio César, meanwhile, is still recovering from perifibrotic inflammation in the hamstring of his right thigh. The No. 37 had returned to action on March 11, a Sunday, in the 1-1 draw against Santos at Vila Belmiro in the sixth round of the Brasileirão, and was the team’s standout performer in the derby. Before that, he had not played since February 6 because of the same injury mentioned above.

After the match against Santos, he was left out of the 0-0 and 1-1 draws against Chapecoense and Flamengo, respectively, because of the injury mentioned. In three matches wearing the Corinthians shirt, he has two assists and one title won: the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil. Forward Memphis Depay, meanwhile, has a grade 2 injury in the front muscle of his right thigh. At the moment, Corinthians’ No. 10 is treating the injury with the Netherlands national team, as he had been called up for two friendlies for his country during the first FIFA international window of 2026.

Memphis Depay and Gui Negão are expected to be out for at least a month and, consequently, will miss the first matches of the Conmebol Libertadores group stage, the first leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil, and some rounds of the Brazilian Championship. Kaio César, meanwhile, has no expected return date. As a result, Corinthians have only four available attacking options: Yuri Alberto, Pedro Raul, Vitinho, and Kayke.

On the other hand, Corinthians could also line up with just one striker — for example, Yuri Alberto — supported by attacking midfielders such as Rodrigo Garro, Zakaria Labyad, and Jesse Lingard. This has already happened when the No. 9 himself was unavailable. Memphis Depay played as the center forward in a midfield setup that at one point included Allan, André Luiz, Breno Bidon, and Rodrigo Garro. Midfielder Dieguinho, who can also play as an inverted right winger, could also be an alternative in setting up the attack.

What about Jesse Lingard?

According to Itatiaia Esporte, Corinthians’ coaching staff see Jesse Lingard as a more advanced midfielder who can operate between the opponent’s defensive lines. In addition, there is an understanding that the No. 77 can have the freedom to drift into areas where the ball is, allowing for combination play that could confuse the opposition.

Internally, according to the report, it is understood that the Englishman can drift out wide, in addition to playing as a second striker alongside Yuri Alberto. Having not played since December, the coaching staff are being cautious with his minutes, which should increase gradually.

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