Léo Mana returns to Corinthians after loan spell at Criciúma ends | OneFootball

Right-back Léo Mana will return to Corinthians after the end of his loan spell at Criciúma. His deal with the Santa Catarina side expires this Friday (31), and the 22-year-old will not remain at the club for the rest of the season. According to Meu Timão, the player is expected to report back to CT Dr. Joaquim Grava next Monday (3). The tendency is for him to train separately while Corinthians assess options for his future.

Léo Mana is not in the plans of the coaching staff led by Fernando Diniz. At the moment, Matheuzinho is the starting right-back, while Pedro Milans is the immediate backup for the position. Given this scenario, the club’s board is waiting for interest from other teams to decide the player’s next destination. Léo Mana’s contract with Corinthians runs until December 2029.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Ag.Corinthians

The loan to Criciúma had been announced in August 2025 and was set to run until the end of July this year. During that period, however, the full-back had few opportunities. He made eight appearances for the Santa Catarina club. Last season, Léo Mana totaled 170 minutes on the pitch, all in Brazil’s Série B. In 2026, his usage was even lower, with just 32 minutes spread across two matches.

His most recent appearance came on April 19, in Criciúma’s 3-2 defeat to Fortaleza at Castelão, in the second round of Série B. The full-back came on in the 37th minute of the second half. After that match, he was not used again by coach Eduardo Baptista.

Léo Mana was also left out of the matches against CRB, Cuiabá and Atlético-GO. In Criciúma’s last 13 matches, he did not even make the squad list. Before the game against Fortaleza, his only appearance of the season had come on April 6. On that occasion, he came on during the 1-0 defeat to Goiás at Serrinha Stadium and stayed on the field for 24 minutes.

Despite the limited playing time, the defender won a title during his stint in Santa Catarina. In March, he was part of the squad that won the Taça Acesc, decided on penalties against Camboriú by 8-7. The competition brought together the clubs eliminated in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Campeonato Catarinense and awarded the winner a place in the 2027 Copa do Brasil.

A product of Corinthians’ youth academy, Léo Mana played 112 matches between the Under-17 and Under-20 teams. He made his first-team debut in 2022, in a 1-0 defeat to América-MG in the Brazilian Championship.

Since then, the full-back has made 30 appearances for Corinthians’ senior team, 18 of them as a starter. During that period, he scored no goals and provided one assist.

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