Vinícius Lira injury could give Escobar a run in the Santos side | OneFootball

Santos received bad news after the derby against Corinthians last Sunday. Left-back Vinicius Lira suffered a complete rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee and will be out for Juan Pablo Vojvoda for an indefinite period. Thus, a spot opens up in the Peixe's defensive system, which is expected to be filled by Escobar.

Due to the severity of the injury, Vinícius Lira will undergo surgery and risks missing the entire season. Escobar is currently the only option for Vojvoda to fill the gap in defense and is expected to be the starter until the "Menino da Vila" returns.

Vinícius Lira, only 18 years old, joined the Santos professional squad in 2025 and took over as a starter this season due to Escobar's poor form. The Argentine left-back was signed in 2024 and lost his place after struggling with injuries last season.

Escobar has not played in three matches. The number 31 last appeared in the 2-1 defeat to Novorizontino in the quarterfinals of the Campeonato Paulista. On that occasion, he was a starter and played the full 90 minutes.

After that, he was available for the next three games but saw Vojvoda choose Vinícius Lira and did not even leave the bench.

This year, Escobar has played eight times and scored one goal. In total, the left-back has 83 appearances for the Alvinegro Praiano, two goals, and three assists. He was part of the squad that won the 2024 Série B.

Santos' Situation in the Brasileiro

With the draw in the derby, Santos climbed one position in the table and reached 13th place, with six points. In the Brasileirão, they have one win, three draws, and two losses.

Next Santos Match

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