Luís Castro weighs strongest side as Grêmio face Santos before Sudamericana decider | OneFootball

Grêmio beat Palestino 2-0 to stay in control of direct qualification for the Sudamericana last 16. Before a Group F decider with Montevideo City Torque at the Arena, they host Santos in the Brasileirão, then Corinthians ahead of the World Cup break.

As reported by Globo.com, Luís Castro said they plan to use their strongest side where possible, though it depends on availability, and recovery work should leave them in good condition. He noted that in a run of matches every two days, the third game, Tuesday against the Uruguayans, is often the toughest.

For Saturday, midfielder Gabriel Mec, left-back Pedro Gabriel and centre-forward André Henrique are suspended.

A centre-back who has missed the last two matches with a leg injury remains a doubt for Santos, with a haematoma preventing full assessment and no specific medical bulletin yet. Clarity is expected within one or two days. Castro is also unlikely to have Balbuena, who has a left thigh problem.

There is uncertainty over Arthur and Villasanti. The club had hoped the captain would return on Saturday, while the Paraguayan is racing to be available for his national team for the World Cup and may not play for Grêmio again before joining up.

Castro added that the team might drop deeper at times to preserve intensity, highlighting the role of mental fatigue in performance. He said there are no miracles, they will pick whoever is ready.

Source: Globo.com