Vasco set to take 11 under-20s for Copa Sudamericana debut | OneFootball

Vasco are set to take 11 under-20 regulars with the senior squad for Tuesday’s Copa Sudamericana opener away to Barracas Central. According to Globo.com, the youngsters will join the delegation flying to Buenos Aires on Sunday night.

Alison, Andrey Fernandes, Avellar, Bruno André, Breno Vereza, Gustavinho, Juninho, Philippe Gabriel, Ramon Rique, Samuel Jesus and Zuccarello were left out of the under-20 list for Sunday’s Copa Rio clássico with Flamengo. The group trained with the first team on Sunday morning at CT Moacyr Barbosa.

The plan reflects early qualification for the Copa Rio under-20 semi-finals. Vasco lead Group B on 15 points, and Flamengo are already out, so the under-20 staff will use the date to hand minutes to other prospects.

Vasco are expected to field a rotated side, mixing players short on minutes with a handful of youngsters, with most under-20s likely to start on the bench. Several senior starters are set to remain in Brazil to concentrate on next Saturday’s Brasileirão trip to Remo in Belém.

After Saturday’s loss to Botafogo, Renato signalled this approach, underlining that the league is the club’s priority. He cited long travel and a lean squad, arguing that overloading the same players would invite injuries, so preserving key names for domestic fixtures is the sensible choice.

Barracas Central v Vasco kicks off at 19:00 Brasília time in Argentina on Tuesday.

Source: Globo.com