Zubeldía debuts vs Grêmio in 2026, aims to fix set pieces, fit Savarino | OneFootball

After the scare and recovery from an angioplasty, Luis Zubeldía will finally make his official debut leading Fluminense from the sidelines this Wednesday (28). The return occurs in a high-demand scenario, the first round of the Brazilian Championship, against Grêmio, at Maracanã. Although he takes over the team during a honeymoon phase with the fans after the victory in the classic against Flamengo, the Argentine coach has already identified specific adjustments that need to be made to maintain high competitiveness.

The main headache diagnosed by the coaching staff at the beginning of the year is defensive set pieces. The Tricolor has conceded five goals this season, four of which originated from corner kicks, a weakness that assistant Maxi Cuberas and defender Jemmes have publicly admitted needs urgent correction in training to provide more security to Fábio's goal.

From midfield forward, Zubeldía's mission, without the arrival of a traditional center forward in this window, is to give continuity and confidence for John Kennedy to definitively establish himself as the attack's reference, addressing a need felt in 2025.

Simultaneously, the coach will have to solve a good problem, finding space for the reinforcement Jefferson Savarino. The Venezuelan arrives with the status of a starter, but will need to be integrated into a sector where Serna (top scorer of the year), Lucho Acosta, and Canobbio are in great form, requiring Zubeldía to devise a tactical arrangement that does not dismantle the team's intensity.

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