Mystery as Botafogo hide star’s status, derby with Vasco in doubt | OneFootball

Botafogo heads into the decisive classic against Vasco this Thursday (11) at Nilton Santos Stadium with major concerns in the medical department. Midfielder Danilo has become a doubt after experiencing physical issues, and right-back Vitinho is also expected to be out of the starting lineup.

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© Jorge Rodrigues/AGIF – Danilo is a concern for Botafogo.

At Monday's (8) training session, Danilo did not participate in group activities with the squad. The player only engaged in light jogging around the field and individualized ball work. Additionally, images showed his left ankle visibly swollen, increasing the technical staff's concerns.

So far, the club has not officially released details about the severity of the injury but is working to have the midfielder at least listed for the match. Internally, there is hope for a quick recovery so that he can be on the field against the rival.

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MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images

Vitinho, on the other hand, is likely to be absent for another reason: the right-back has been called up to defend the Brazilian National Team in El Alto and will hardly be able to return in time to start. He had secured the spot from Wesley, who felt muscle discomfort and is also a concern.

With two possible absences, Botafogo's coach will need to find alternatives to assemble the team for a match that is worth a spot in the Copa do Brasil semifinals. Vasco, in turn, is closely monitoring the situation and hopes that the absences will weaken their rival at this crucial moment.

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