Crespo unsure if Lucas will face Palmeiras: "It's up to him" | OneFootball

Coach Hernán Crespo chose not to guarantee the presence of Lucas Moura in the derby against Palmeiras, scheduled for this weekend. The Argentine revealed that he talks to the forward on a daily basis, but left the decision to play or not in the hands of São Paulo’s number 7, São Paulo.

“It’s up to him. We’ll talk to him, we’re talking every day. The important thing is that he doesn’t feel pain and comes back. He will choose if he can play, if he can add some minutes, or maybe not. We’ll see,” Crespo pointed out at a press conference last Wednesday.

The main obstacle for Lucas Moura in the Choque-Rei is the synthetic pitch. Although the derby won’t be played at Allianz Parque, the match will take place at Arena Barueri, which also has an artificial pitch. São Paulo’s number 7 is one of the spokespeople in the movement against this type of surface.

Lucas Moura, for example, was part of a joint statement by several players against synthetic pitches, in an action organized in February last year. In addition to the São Paulo forward, players such as Neymar, Gabigol, Coutinho, and Alan Patrick also voiced their opinions on social media.

“It’s worrying to see the direction Brazilian football is taking. It’s absurd that we have to discuss synthetic pitches in our fields. Objectively, with the size and representativeness of our football, this shouldn’t even be an option. The solution for a bad pitch is to make a good pitch, it’s that simple. […] PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL SHOULD NOT BE PLAYED ON SYNTHETIC PITCHES!” the athletes published.

Currently, five stadiums in the Série A of the Brazilian Championship have synthetic pitches: Allianz Parque (Palmeiras), Nilton Santos (Botafogo), Arena MRV (Atlético-MG), Arena da Baixada (Athletico-PR), and Arena Condá (Chapecoense).

Lucas has a recent history of knee problems

Lucas Moura returned to the pitch for São Paulo in 2026 after a frustrating season due to problems with his right knee. The forward had to undergo several procedures last year, such as an arthroscopy (a minimally invasive surgery) and injections with medication.

Last season, to avoid injuries, the forward was even rested from São Paulo matches against rivals with synthetic pitches. He only came on in the second half of the derby against Palmeiras, in Barueri, during the group stage of the 2025 Paulista. In the semifinal, at Allianz Parque, he started. It was precisely there that he suffered his first knee injury.

From then on, Lucas experienced a rollercoaster, with returns to the pitch and relapses. Towards the end of the season, he decided to stop again to fully recover from the pain in the area and start 2026 at 100%, in the best physical shape possible.

In the current season, Lucas has already played four matches for São Paulo, three as a starter, all consecutively — still without goals or assists. The number 7 is gradually regaining his rhythm and is still seeking his best form to help the team throughout the year.

Upcoming São Paulo matches

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