Crespo considers options v Coritiba, Cauly targets first São Paulo start | OneFootball

São Paulo faces a dilemma for this Wednesday's match against Coritiba, in the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship. The Tricolor does not want to give up on Serie A, in which it is the runner-up, but also does not want to lose players for the important semifinal of the Paulista Championship, scheduled for this Sunday.

With the classic against Palmeiras in sight for the weekend, the tendency is for coach Hernán Crespo to field a mixed team for the match against Coritiba. Sabino and Lucas Ramon have been rested, as well as Danielzinho, who showed high fatigue after the game against Red Bull Bragantino.

São Paulo will also be without Alisson, who has a viral infection, and Lucca, with pain in the back of his left thigh. André Silva, recovered from injury, will not travel either, having only two training sessions with the squad, and Ryan Francisco is still in the physical transition process.

Amid the fatigue of the main starters and the list of absentees, players with less playing time are eyeing an opportunity in the starting 11. Maik, Pablo Maia, and Tapia are some of the names that might get a chance. But one player, in particular, is looking to make his first start for São Paulo: Cauly.

Cauly aims for starting debut

Cauly is aiming for his starting debut for São Paulo in this Wednesday's clash. Amid the competition for a spot in the midfield and the absences, the attacking midfielder has a chance to start for the first time since joining the club — he was announced just over a week ago.

The new number 80 for São Paulo made his debut over the weekend, coming on in the second half of the Paulista Championship quarterfinals against Red Bull Bragantino, away from home. On that occasion, the Tricolor advanced to the next phase with a 2-1 victory.

Cauly replaced Marcos Antônio and played for about 18 minutes. The midfielder did not have very expressive numbers and mainly contributed to the defensive system. According to Sofascore, he completed only one pass, had two actions with the ball, and made one interception.

The player is now seeking his first opportunity as a starter to show what he can do to coach Hernán Crespo and also to São Paulo fans, who have high expectations for his arrival.

The terms of Cauly's arrival

Cauly was signed by São Paulo on loan from Bahia until the end of the year, with a purchase obligation at the end of the contract if certain goals are met.

São Paulo and Bahia engineered a financial deal for the player's loan. The transaction cost was 500,000 euros (about R$ 3 million at the current exchange rate), an amount deducted from the debt of the Bahia club with the São Paulo club for the permanent acquisitions of Rodrigo Nestor and Michel Araújo.

The contract between the clubs also includes, at the end of the loan contract, an obligation to purchase 50% of Cauly's economic rights for 2 million euros (R$ 12.3 million), if he plays 25 matches.

Additionally, São Paulo will also have to acquire another 25% of the player's rights for 600,000 euros (approximately R$ 3.7 million) if the midfielder plays 40 games in the year.

Current standings

São Paulo is enjoying a good moment and has yet to experience a loss in the Brazilian Championship. The Tricolor team is in second place in the standings, with seven points — two wins and one draw so far, just like Palmeiras, which leads by goal difference.

Upcoming São Paulo matches

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