Vasco: Diniz gets surprise boosts for Botafogo clash, who’s back | OneFootball

In the decisive week of the derby against Botafogo, Vasco is intensifying work in the medical department to try to recover key players. Fernando Diniz’s team entered the FIFA break with six players undergoing treatment, but the expectation is to have major reinforcements available for the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals, scheduled for next Thursday (11th) at Nilton Santos.

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Tchê Tchê Vasco vs Atlético-MG — Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

Among the starters, Paulo Henrique and Tchê Tchê are the most promising cases. Both are already participating in part of the activities with the squad, and the tendency is that they will be available to Diniz for the match. The Health and Performance Department (DESP) has been working full time to speed up the recovery process.

Another player who may return to the squad list is Paulinho. The midfielder missed the last two games due to lower back discomfort, but has shown significant improvement and is already training partially with the group.

On the other hand, Thiago Mendes’ situation calls for more caution. The midfielder suffered pain in his right calf, missed the match against Sport, and is still under medical care, without returning to training with the rest of the squad.

The break from matches also brought bad news for Cruz-Maltino. Tests confirmed that Jair suffered a serious injury to his right knee against Sport: a partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, injury to the medial collateral ligament, and damage to the meniscus. The midfielder will not play again in 2025, just like Adson, who is still recovering from a tibia fracture.

With three days left until the derby, Diniz is working with the possibility of gaining important options amid a tight schedule. After the clash with Botafogo, Vasco will face a marathon of five matches in just 16 days.

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Jair left the match between Sport and Vasco injured — Photo: Marlon Costa/AGIF

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