Five issues Corinthians must watch during the international break | OneFootball

Last Wednesday, the Corinthians squad returned to CT Dr. Joaquim Grava. Amid the FIFA international break, players and coaching staff resumed training and began preparations for the match against Fluminense, valid for the ninth round of the Brazilian Championship.

Because of the pause for the FIFA international break, coach Dorival Júnior will have about a week to make adjustments and work on some aspects before the match. Below, Gazeta Esportiva listed five points that deserve the club’s attention over this span of time.

Get Kaio César back

Forward Kaio César recently recovered from a grade 2 injury to the hamstring in his right thigh. After being sidelined for more than a month, he returned to the pitch in the derby against Santos on March 15, but ended up suffering a recurrence.

As announced by the club itself, the player felt discomfort in his right thigh and was not included in the squad against Chapecoense last Thursday. The condition worsened in recent days and, although it did not become a new injury, it turned into perifibrotic inflammation in the area affected by the hamstring injury.

As a result, Kaio César missed the match against Flamengo last weekend. According to the latest medical update released by Corinthians, the player remains under the care of the medical department. Timão can therefore use this free period to speed up the forward’s recovery. He is still doubtful for the game against Fluminense, scheduled for next Wednesday.

Prepare Lingard for his debut

The week will also be useful for the coaching staff to get Lingard ready to make his Corinthians debut. The player was registered in the CBF’s BID (Daily Information Bulletin) this Thursday and is available.

The attacking midfielder has not played since December last year, but he trains daily with the squad at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava. He went through a physical reconditioning process and, now that he has been properly registered, he can be included in the squad for the clash against Fluminense.

A free agent on the market, Lingard signed with Corinthians until the end of the season, with the possibility of an automatic one-year renewal if performance targets are met.

Decide on replacements for Memphis and Raniele

Corinthians will have two confirmed absences for the next round of the Brazilian Championship. Forward Memphis Depay suffered a strain in the front muscle of his right thigh and began treatment with the Dutch national team’s doctors, with approval from the black-and-white club’s board.

With Kaio César injured, Dorival Júnior still has a few alternatives and may once again turn to the youth ranks. Vitinho, Gui Negão, Pedro Raul, Kayke and Dieguinho are competing for a chance in Corinthians’ attack.

Raniele, meanwhile, is suspended. The midfielder received his third yellow card in the 1-1 draw against Flamengo last Sunday. To replace the No. 14, Dorival’s coaching staff has three options: Matheus Pereira, Allan or Charles.

Improve attacking production

Corinthians’ attack is going through a rough spell this season. Timão is on a seven-game winless run, and the lack of effectiveness up front is a concern. In that stretch, the black-and-white side scored only four goals in matches in the Brasileirão and the Paulista Championship.

According to Sofascore data, Corinthians is the fourth team with the fewest shots in the Brazilian Championship, averaging 10.6 attempts per game. Only São Paulo, Coritiba and Botafogo have lower averages.

The poor form of Corinthians’ attack was also linked to Yuri Alberto’s absence, though he recovered from injury last week. Even so, the black-and-white team has struggled to find solutions against reactive sides or teams that play in a low block. The FIFA international break could therefore be crucial for Dorival Júnior to seek alternatives for the sector.

Resolve off-field issues

Off the pitch, Corinthians also has problems to solve. Recently, Osmar Stabile, president of the executive board, and Romeu Tuma Júnior, president of the Deliberative Council, entered into an “internal war” behind the scenes at Timão. The clash between the two began on March 9, at a meeting on the reform of the club’s statute, and continues to generate controversy.

Stabile accuses Tuma of interfering in the administration, while Romeu vehemently denies the accusations. As a result, the president of the Deliberative Council sued the Corinthians chief for slander and defamation in recent days and asked Osmar to provide proof of the accusations made against him.

In addition, at a meeting called unilaterally by Stabile, Tuma was removed from the presidency of the Deliberative Council by the council members last Monday. The decision, however, was not recognized by Romeu, who said he would only leave the post by court order. Leonardo Pantaleão, vice president of the Deliberative Council, president of the Ethics and Discipline Committee and, in theory, the one who should take Romeu’s place, also did not recognize the act.

Corinthians’ next matches

Fluminense vs Corinthians (ninth round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/01 (Wednesday), at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ)

Corinthians vs Internacional (tenth round of the Brazilian Championship) Date and time: 04/05 (Sunday), at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Neo Química Arena, in São Paulo (SP)

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