Dorival to go full strength v Palmeiras, but Luciano to be rested | OneFootball

After the 1-0 defeat to Boca Juniors in Argentina, São Paulo now turns its attention to the Brazilian Championship. The task will be anything but easy: Tricolor will face Palmeiras in a derby scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Saturday (12), at Parque Antártica.

Without losing sight of the return leg against the Argentinians next Tuesday (15) at Morumbi, the coaching staff’s initial intention is to field the strongest team possible for the derby. However, the decision on the starters will depend directly on the players’ medical tests and physical recovery in the upcoming training sessions.

Among the cases being monitored by the medical department and the coaching staff, Luciano’s situation requires greater caution. The No. 10 again reported pain in the back of his thigh during the match in Argentina. He ended up being substituted.

“I was feeling a bit of pain in the back of my thigh against Atlético. In one play, I felt a sharp twinge and asked to come off. I’m going to start treatment shortly here at the hotel and, God willing, by Tuesday I’ll be fully fit,” he said.

Luciano first started feeling pain against Atlético-MG, but he played against Boca because of the importance of the match against the Argentinians. It was his 10th straight start, the striker’s longest run of the season — and the team’s second longest, behind only Calleri’s 11 matches.

Against Palmeiras, however, the tendency is for the forward to be rested in order to step up preventive treatment.

The expectation is that São Paulo’s attack in the derby will be made up of Gustavo Santana and Calleri. The No. 9 picked up his third yellow card and will miss the second match against Boca.

Another name worrying the coaching staff is Artur, who has also been showing signs of fatigue. Whether or not he is used will depend on monitoring in training starting this Thursday (10).

Fitness planning and squad management

Coach Dorival Júnior highlighted the group’s recovery capacity when commenting on the grueling run of matches and the transition between competitions.

“We played on Saturday and had no problems at all. We did normal work, we recovered, and the Boca match was also very intense. From Saturday on, after the match, we’ll start thinking about Tuesday,” he said.

Resting players for the derby

Focus on the knockout stage: The goal is to ensure Luciano is in ideal condition next week, when the coach will not be able to count on suspended Jonathan Calleri in São Paulo’s attack.

São Paulo is making its final tactical and fitness adjustments at CT da Barra Funda to determine the lineup that will take the field in the Choque-Rei, aiming to extend its positive run in the Brasileirão (it is coming off two straight wins).

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