Gabigol could be Santos' answer, but thin squad a concern | OneFootball

Santos began the 2026 season with a hard-fought victory against Novorizontino in the first round of the Campeonato Paulista. Peixe defeated Novorizontino 2-1, with Gabigol shining.

The striker started in his re-debut and already found the back of the net. More than that, the number 9 was heavily involved in the game, moved well, and showed that he could be the solution to the club’s offensive problems.

However, while Gabigol was the highlight, the match against Novorizontino also made it clear that Santos has a short squad. Coach Juan Pablo Vojvoda faced many challenges in putting together the lineup.

In total, there were seven absences. Neymar (knee arthroscopy), Souza (leaving), Zé Rafael (conjunctivitis), Bontempo (nose surgery), Victor Hugo (leaving), Tiquinho Soares (calf edema), and Barreal (documentation issue) were all sidelined.

Given this situation, it was necessary to call up four Meninos da Vila who were playing in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior: left-back Vinícius Lira, midfielders Pepê Firmino and Gustavo Henrique, and forward Mateus Xavier. Of these, the last two were brought on during the second half.

In 2026, Santos will have a tight schedule due to the World Cup. Already in February, the Paulistão will overlap with the Campeonato Brasileiro. In other words, Vojvoda may have trouble fielding a competitive team in two competitions at the same time.

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Santos’ Next Match

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