Midfield woes hamper São Paulo in Copa Sul-Americana and Libertadores race | OneFootball

São Paulo has gained more headaches for the final stretch of the season. Marcos Antônio and Pablo Maia suffered injuries after the 2-2 draw with Flamengo and have become the new absences for coach Hernán Crespo amid the fight for a spot in the Pre-Libertadores.

An absolute starter for the team and included in the preliminary list by coach Carlo Ancelotti in the recent call-ups for the Brazilian National Team, Marcos Antônio suffered an injury to the back of his left thigh.

Pablo Maia, on the other hand, underwent an imaging exam that confirmed a tendon injury in his right foot, resulting from a blow he received in the area, which led to his substitution during the match against Flamengo.

Marcos Antônio and Pablo Maia join other midfielders who were already out, such as Luan, Oscar, and Rodriguinho. This leaves only two options for Crespo in the sector: Luiz Gustavo, Alisson, and Damián Bobadilla.

There is also Felipe Negrucci, a young talent from Cotia who has only received opportunities when he had to play as a makeshift defender, precisely due to the lack of options in the sector also because of physical problems.

Injuries have been a major problem for São Paulo this season. Because of this, some internal processes of the club's health and performance unit are being reviewed with an eye on the next season.

It is worth remembering that São Paulo recently renovated the CT area dedicated to physiotherapy treatments and physical preparation, renaming the department “Reffis Plus.” However, in practice, the results of these improvements have not been seen.

The news of the injuries to Marcos Antônio and Pablo Maia comes at the worst possible time for São Paulo, which still dreams of a spot in the preliminary phase of the Libertadores. Currently, the top seven teams in the Brasileirão secure a spot in the continental tournament.

The G7 could become G8 if Cruzeiro or Fluminense wins the Copa do Brasil. Thus, if São Paulo finishes the Brasileirão among the top eight in the table, it would secure qualification for the Pre-Libertadores.

With the midfield shattered, São Paulo returns to the field next Thursday at 7:30 PM (Brasília time) against Corinthians at the Neo Química Arena, for the 34th round of the Brazilian Championship.

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