Villasanti aims to regain a leading role at Grêmio | OneFootball

After the tough blow of missing out on the World Cup, Mathías Villasanti is focused on winning back his place in Grêmio’s starting lineup.

Fully recovered from a serious knee injury, the Paraguayan defensive midfielder is now trying to convince coach Luís Castro that he is ready to take charge of Tricolor’s midfield again.

The information was published by ge.

💔 The Frustration of the World Cup

A key player in the qualifiers that took Paraguay back to the World Cup after 16 years, Villasanti saw his dream interrupted by a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August 2025.

In a race against time, the player was available for Grêmio again on May 23. Paraguay national team coach Gustavo Alfaro hoped the midfielder would get a few minutes on the field before the final squad announcement. However, by Luís Castro’s decision, Villasanti was not used in the matches against Santos, Montevideo City Torque, and Corinthians, and was left out of the World Cup squad.

⚔️ The Battle for Midfield

With Arthur’s recent departure, an important gap opened up in the second midfield spot at Grêmio. The current situation in the competition is as follows:

Juan Nardoni: The Argentine, signed at the start of 2026, is the coaching staff’s immediate favorite because he is match-fit and physically up to speed.

Villasanti: The player naturally lost his status as an undisputed starter after nine months out, but he has the full backing of the board, which sees him as a “major signing” for the second half of the season.

🗓️ The Road Back: Friendly Match Schedule

The current mid-season break will be crucial for Villasanti to regain the coaching staff’s trust and get the minutes he needs. Grêmio have three scheduled friendlies in which the midfielder is expected to be tested:

This Saturday: Grêmio vs. Cascavel (in the interior of Paraná, at 4 p.m.).

July 5: Grêmio vs. Chapecoense (in Mato Grosso).

July 12: Grêmio vs. Cruzeiro (in Brasília).

📊 Villasanti’s Numbers at Tricolor

The second longest-serving player in the current squad (behind only club icon Kannemann), Villasanti had his contract renewed just a few months before the injury. Below are the Paraguayan’s overall numbers since arriving in August 2021:

Matches played: 193

Goals scored: 14 goals

Assists: 14 assists

Titles won: 3 Campeonato Gaúcho titles

Contract until: December 2029

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

📸 Pedro H. Tesch - 2025 Getty Images