Corinthians face defensive dilemmas ahead of Santos derby | OneFootball

Dorival Júnior has dilemmas to solve at Corinthians before the derby against Santos, next Wednesday, for the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship. The coach needs to decide who will be the starting defender for the team against Peixe.

The competition for the left-back position, for example, is open. The starter, Matheus Bidu, received his third yellow card and will have to serve a suspension. Therefore, Hugo and Angileri are fighting for the spot.

Angileri has played more games this season. He has taken the field 31 times, compared to 16 for Hugo. The Argentine, however, has been playing more as a third center-back. Meanwhile, Hugo got an opportunity as a wing-back in the match against Internacional and impressed Dorival.

Defense: youth or experience?

Besides the left-back, another question for Dorival is in central defense. The coach will decide who will partner with Gustavo Henrique, who is established as a starter.

The young João Pedro Tchoca gained space during André Ramalho’s absence, as he was recovering from a right thigh strain. However, Corinthians are hopeful to have their starter back against Santos, at least among the squad list.

(Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians)

Therefore, it’s up to Dorival to decide whether to continue with Tchoca, who stood out against Flamengo and Mirassol, or to bet on Ramalho’s return, even though he may not be in ideal match fitness due to his time out. Cacá is an outsider and could also get an opportunity.

Free week

The Corinthians coach will have time to run tests and decide who will make up the starting defensive line for the alvinegro derby. The squad returned to training this Wednesday and will have six more days of work, due to the FIFA break.

Corinthians’ next match

League standings

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