Academy-raised midfielder returns for Corinthians after just over a month | OneFootball

On the night of this Wednesday (16), Corinthians hosted Estudiantes of Argentina at Neo Química Arena for the second leg of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals and were beaten 1-0. With the result, Alvinegro have been eliminated from the Conmebol Libertadores in the quarterfinals.

The match marked the return of midfielder André Luiz to the pitch in a Corinthians shirt for the first time in just over a month. The defensive midfielder, who came through Corinthians’ youth academy, had not played since August 6 — Corinthians 2-1 Internacional in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. After that match, he felt muscle discomfort and later, following tests, was diagnosed with a grade 2 muscle injury in his right thigh.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The 20-year-old started the match on the bench and was brought on by coach Fernando Diniz in the 21st minute of the second half to replace André Carrillo. According to Sofascore, a sports statistics app, the No. 49 posted the following numbers during his time on the field: 11/12 accurate passes, 15 touches, five carries, and two ball recoveries. His rating in the app was 6.0.

In addition to André Luiz, the Corinthians coaching staff, led by Fernando Diniz, has the following options in the position: Raniele, Allan, Matheus Pereira, Charles, Alex Santana, André Carrillo, Luiz Gustavo Bahia, and Breno Bidon. It is worth remembering that, at this moment, Corinthians’ medical department, now without André Luiz, includes: center-back André Ramalho (partial work with the group after a bout of labyrinthitis), midfielder Zakaria Labyad (recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee), as well as forwards Yuri Alberto (recovering from fibrosis resulting from a grade 2B muscle injury in his thigh) and Kayke Ferrari (recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee).

With André available, Corinthians are already preparing for their next commitment of the season. Next Sunday (20), before the international break, Alvinegro will host Fluminense, also at Neo Química Arena, at 4 p.m. Brasília time, for the 28th round of the 2026 Brazilian Championship. At the moment, Timão sit only 13th with 32 points — eight wins, eight draws, and 11 losses — with 28 goals scored and 29 conceded.

André Luiz’s path in Corinthians’ first team

Developed in Timão’s youth academy, André Luiz made his professional debut in September 2025, when Timão were coached by Dorival Júnior, in a 1-0 win over Fluminense in the Brazilian Championship. Since then, he has played 47 matches for the senior team, 31 of them as a starter, scored seven goals, and provided two assists. At that time, the player gained space in the first team also because the club had been punished by FIFA with a transfer ban related to a debt with Santos Laguna of Mexico.

The midfielder was also part of the squads that won the 2025 Copa do Brasil and the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil, taking part in both finals. This season, he earned even more space and had been used frequently among Fernando Diniz’s starters. This year, he is the team’s third-highest scorer of the season with five goals in 35 matches.

Numbers and titles in Corinthians’ youth ranks

For Corinthians’ Under-17 and Under-20 teams, he scored 11 goals in 80 matches, with 41 wins, 15 draws, and 24 losses. In Timão’s youth setup, his main titles were the 2023 Paulista Under-17 Championship, beating São Paulo in the final, and the 2024 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, facing Cruzeiro in the grand final. Last year, he was set to be registered for the Copinha, but was left out due to a knee injury and only returned to action midway through that same season.

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