Crespo hails São Paulo form, hopes Marcos Antônio injury is minor | OneFootball

Hernán Crespo was all smiles after São Paulo's 2-0 victory over Atlético-MG this Sunday at Morumbis. The coach celebrated the team's good moment, having gone eight games unbeaten in the Brazilian Championship, and also spoke about Marcos Antônio's situation.

The midfielder left the match in the first half with pain in the back of his left thigh. Crespo said the substitution was out of caution and praised the player, who was on the preliminary list for the Brazilian National Team and was hoping to be called up by Carlo Ancelotti this Monday.

Crespo hopes it will be nothing serious. Marcos Antônio will undergo tests this Monday to determine the severity of the problem.

“Of course it’s a source of pride for Marcos Antônio. We’re talking about the Brazilian National Team. He’s playing at a great level, he deserves it. Today he came off as a precaution, I hope it’s nothing,” said the Argentine coach.

Crespo prefers not to lament the absences but rather to celebrate São Paulo’s good form. He joked that “everything is working out” and praised the squad’s commitment, especially after a grueling Libertadores match.

“We have to value those who played today, after a tough Libertadores game. It’s very exhausting, I have to congratulate the players. It’s not easy to recharge and be well, with this aggressiveness, this courage,” declared the manager.

“It’s a good, nice moment. Everything is working out. There’s a great commitment from the players. The squad is hungry. We have to keep going down this path, with our feet on the ground. I think we’re going to have many opportunities and good things,” he added.

São Paulo’s next match will be in a week. On Saturday, the team will travel to Belo Horizonte to face second-place Cruzeiro at Mineirão. The clash, valid for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão, is scheduled for 9 p.m. (Brasília time).

With the 2-0 win over Atlético-MG, Tricolor stayed close to the G6. The team is in seventh place with 32 points, the same as sixth-place Mirassol.

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