Corinthians issue fresh update on João Pedro Tchoca's condition | OneFootball

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Late this Tuesday afternoon (12), Corinthians released a new update on the clinical condition of 22-year-old center-back João Pedro Tchoca. Last Thursday (8), the defender underwent surgery led by gastrointestinal surgeon Dr. Walter Ayres Júnior to correct an inguinal hernia at Vila Nova Star hospital.

In a statement, the Alvinegro said that the No. 4 has started working with the physiotherapy department at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava: “Center-back João Pedro began the recovery process with the physiotherapy department after undergoing surgery to correct an inguinal hernia on Friday (08).”

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The defender’s last match came on March 19, in a scoreless draw against Chapecoense at Arena Condá, in the seventh round of the Brazilian Championship. At the time, the team was still managed by coach Dorival Júnior.

Afterward, he was an option on the bench in the matches against Fluminense (04/01) and Internacional (04/05). As a result, he is one of the only players in the current squad who has yet to take the field under Fernando Diniz. With him unavailable for matches, 17-year-old center-back Iago Machado, born in 2009 and a starter for the Under-20s, has been filling a spot on the bench. At the moment, the available options are: Gustavo Henrique, Gabriel Paulista, André Ramalho, and the Terrão youth product.

A champion of the 2024 Copinha with Timão, Tchoca was promoted to the senior squad right after the youth tournament. At first, he did not get much playing time and was loaned to Ceará, then in Série B, midway through that season. There, he stood out, becoming a starter in the final stretch of the promotion campaign, and at the start of 2025 he was reintegrated into Timão’s squad.

In total, at 22 years old, he has made 37 appearances in a Corinthians shirt (30 as a starter), with 19 wins, 12 draws, and six losses, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He was part of the title-winning squads in the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026), against Palmeiras, Vasco da Gama, and Flamengo, respectively. His contract runs until November 2030.

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