Roger Machado could lose key defender v São Paulo: Alan Franco a doubt | OneFootball

Alan Franco was the standout defensive performer in São Paulo’s 2-0 win over Chilean side O’Higgins on Tuesday night (14) at Morumbi in the Copa Sudamericana.

The Argentine center-back led the Tricolor defense with a superb display, which made him São Paulo’s leader in defensive actions in the match, with 17 in total.

And this is nothing new for Alan. Since Roger Machado’s debut in charge of the Tricolor, the defensive stalwart has also been the team’s leader in defensive actions, becoming essential to the new coach’s system.

Under Roger, Alan Franco has played seven matches, scoring one goal, with 90% passing accuracy, 54% efficiency in duels for the ball, 40 clearances (1st on the team), nine tackles, 57 defensive actions (8.1 per game), 36 balls recovered, and zero serious defensive errors, according to Sofascore data.

In this latest win at Morumbi, the foreigner completed 61 of 63 passes (97%), won 7 of 12 duels, made two tackles, blocked three shots, recorded 12 clearances, and had 17 defensive actions in total.

NEW ABSENCE?

In the latest wave of Tricolor injuries, Alan Franco is another cause for concern. The defender felt pain during the Copa Sudamericana win and was close to being substituted, but stayed on until the end of the match. As the squad has Wednesday (15) off, the player will be assessed more thoroughly when training resumes.

But Franco could become another problem for Roger Machado. The center-back has frequently been visiting Reffis because of minor injuries and may become another absentee for the next clash, against Vasco, on Saturday (18) in the Brasileirão.

The Tricolor coach has already lost Marcos Antônio, who is only expected to return after the World Cup, in addition to Ferreirinha, who missed the last match because of swelling in the back of his left thigh.

Sabino is still recovering from a calf injury and is hoping to return against Vasco. Otherwise, Roger Machado will have only Toloi and Dória available at center-back.

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