Surprise in the squad! Diniz leaves defender out against Juventude | OneFootball

Vasco wrapped up preparations this Friday for the clash against Juventude, which will take place this Saturday (8th) at 6:00 p.m. at São Januário, for the 33rd round of the Brazilian Championship. Coach Fernando Diniz will have the returns of Paulo Henrique and Nuno Moreira, but will be missing one player: defender Lucas Freitas will not be included in the squad for the match.

The 23-year-old defender has not played since September 20, when he was on the field for just 39 minutes in the 3-1 win over Bahia at São Januário. Since then, he has lost his place in the defensive rotation, with the consolidation of the duo Carlos Cuesta and Robert Renan as starters.

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© Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF Lucas Freitas will not play in Vasco vs Juventude

According to the profile @AVascainos on X (formerly Twitter), Lucas Freitas will not even be part of the squad for this weekend's match.

On the other hand, young players Leandrinho and Paulinho have been confirmed among those called up and will be available to Diniz. Both have not yet made their debut in the Brazilian Championship, but have been regularly included in the coach’s recent lists.

Vasco currently occupies ninth place, with 42 points, and is looking to get back to winning ways after two consecutive defeats — to São Paulo and Botafogo. Meanwhile, Juventude is in 18th place, with 29 points, and is fighting to get out of the relegation zone.

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Photo: Reproduction.

The match kicks off at 6:00 p.m. (Brasília time) at São Januário, with a full house and high expectations for the Giant of the Hill to bounce back in front of its fans.

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