Dorival to test full-back options at Corinthians’ flank | OneFootball

The free week for Corinthians will be important for Dorival Júnior, who is already thinking about the match against Vitória, scheduled for next Saturday, in the 30th round of the Brazilian Championship. The coach plans to use this period to run tests and choose the replacement for right-back Matheuzinho, who is suspended.

A guaranteed starter for the team, Matheuzinho received his third yellow card in the 1-0 win over Atlético-MG last Saturday at Neo Química Arena. Dorival, however, has few options in the squad for the position.

Léo Mana, who was the immediate backup, was transferred to Criciúma. Therefore, only players who can fill the role in an improvised manner and the youth players from the academy remain.

Dorival’s Options

In the last opportunities when Matheuzinho was absent, Dorival chose to improvise players. The first was the Ecuadorian center-back Félix Torres. Later, in the derby against Palmeiras, Charles played on the right side of the defense.

Neither of them convinced. Thus, there is a possibility the coach will run new tests ahead of the match against Vitória. One alternative is left-back Hugo, who could switch sides to play with his weaker foot in this emergency situation.

Finally, Dorival may bet on another Son of Terrão. The youngster João Vitor, known as Jacaré, has been training with the first team and is waiting for his first opportunity with the squad.

“It’s concerning [the suspension] because of Matheuzinho’s consistency, growth, and reliability. He’s an effective player, involved in important goals. We have options, and we’ll test them during the week. Jacaré has been making important progress. We have Félix, Hugo playing on his weaker foot, Charles,” said Dorival in the last press conference.

The coach has four more training sessions to decide who will start. The squad returned to training this Monday and will resume work on Tuesday morning, continuing their preparations.

Corinthians’ Next Match

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