Back after 4 months, Felisberto passes Maik in Cotia full-back race | OneFootball

São Paulo’s right-back position is going through a period of reorganization under head coach Roger Machado, with paths crossing in opposite directions. On one side is Maik, who started the year on the rise but is now facing a loss of space. On the other is Igor Felisberto, still with the under-20s but increasingly present in the day-to-day of the senior squad.

Maik’s situation has drawn attention not only because of his drop in playing time, but also because of his recent absence even from matchday squads. He has now missed five straight games, including the win over O’Higgins, with no official indication of any physical issue. On the contrary, the full-back has continued to appear normally in training images since at least late March.

According to what AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, the coaching staff believes the player has not been reaching the expected level in training and has also still not managed to adapt to Roger’s tactical demands. The coach’s response after the last match did not go deeply into the subject, but it did outline the criterion.

“These are my choices for the moment. Each player’s story with me starts being written from the moment I arrive. That is not unchangeable. It can change depending on the moment and each one’s productivity,” he said.

Since Roger’s arrival, Maik has been included in the squad for four of the team’s nine matches and has taken the field only once, in the loss to Atlético-MG, when he played 83 minutes. Since then, he has gradually faded from the picture. His last appearance in a squad list was for the derby against Palmeiras on March 21. It is a sharp contrast to the start of the season, when, under Hernán Crespo, he even overtook Cédric Soares in the battle for the position.

Promoted to the senior team last season, Maik has 18 appearances and two goals and recently featured in a CIES Football Observatory study as one of the top under-23 prospects in the Brazilian Championship, ranking 11th, with his ground defensive efficiency highlighted. Even so, the current moment points to an uncertain future, reflected in rumors of a possible departure in the middle of the year. As AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR has learned, Swiss football is keeping an eye on the player’s situation.

Meanwhile, Igor Felisberto is beginning to occupy the space left open. At 19, the right-back has been a constant presence in first-team activities and is already seeing the first signs of trust.

Included in the squad for tonight’s match against Vasco, he is back among the call-ups for the first time since January and only the sixth time in his professional career.

Although he started in each of the first five rounds of this year’s Brazilian Under-20 Championship, he was not called up for Thursday’s (16) draw with Avaí in Florianópolis (SC), which pointed to his possible use by Roger.

The internal assessment is that the player “jumped the queue” because of his performances in training. Initially behind Lucas Ramon, Cédric, Maik, and Moreira, the youngster has recently climbed the hierarchy and is now ahead of the latter two, although Moreira has also been training in midfield.

The club sees Igor as another gem from Cotia, with a contract until the end of 2029 and frequent appearances for Brazil’s under-20 national team, including the most recent set of friendlies against Paraguay during last month’s FIFA international window.

In the current scenario, the right-back hierarchy seems clearly defined at the top: Lucas Ramon as the starter and Cédric as the first alternative. Below them, however, the competition remains open and in motion.

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