Omar Feitosa explains Santos’ fitness strain after Sudamericana draw | OneFootball

Santos’ physical levels came under scrutiny after the 2-2 draw with San Lorenzo at Vila Belmiro in the Copa Sudamericana. Physical coach Omar Feitosa outlined why the squad look fatigued as the players reported back on Thursday.

According to Diario Do Peixe, he said a shortened pre-season, despite him not being at the club then, and a heavy sequence of games have limited the team’s conditioning.

Several players have faded late in matches, with muscle problems also surfacing and others operating at their limits. The club are without Gabriel Menino, João Schmidt and Thaciano through injury.

Feitosa added that significant injuries, including anterior cruciate ligament damage, occurred before the current staff arrived, leaving numbers tight. He noted Santos have played 16 or 17 matches in a short span, some knockout ties.

A packed calendar, which recently included a Copa do Brasil tie, has left little chance either to recover properly or to build meaningful physical work between fixtures. In his view, that restricts the training load players need to feel secure.

He accepted recovery may take longer and that the team could lose the odd player during this stretch. He believes a mid-year pause in two or three games’ time will allow an interseason reset. Santos visit Grêmio on Saturday at 19:00 Brasília time in the Campeonato Brasileiro, then host Deportivo Cuenca at Vila Belmiro in a decisive Sudamericana tie.

Source: Diario Do Peixe