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

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

At the end of the afternoon this Tuesday (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, Alvinegro reported that the No. 4 has begun working with the physiotherapy department at CT Dr. Joaquim Grava: “Defender 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 took place on March 19, in a goalless 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.

He was later 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 his absence from matches, 17-year-old center-back Iago Machado, born in 2009 and a starter for the Under-20s, has been making up the bench. Currently available are Gustavo Henrique, Gabriel Paulista, André Ramalho, and the Terrão graduate.

Champion of the 2024 Copinha with Timão, Tchoca was promoted to the professional squad right after the youth tournament. Initially, he did not get much space and was loaned to Ceará, then in Série B, in the middle of that season. There, he stood out, becoming a starter in the final stretch of the promotion campaign and, at the beginning of 2025, was reintegrated into Timão’s squad.

In total, at 22 years old, he has made 37 appearances for Corinthians (30 as a starter), with 19 wins, 12 draws, and six losses, along with two goals and one assist. He was part of the title-winning squads in the Paulista Championship (2025), the Copa do Brasil (2025), and the 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.