FIFA break: São Paulo rest squad, target full fitness for Lucas, Oscar | OneFootball

After the defeat in the classic match against Palmeiras and taking advantage of the FIFA date, the São Paulo squad enjoyed a few invigorating days off this week.

According to the schedule released by the club, the tricolor group will only return to work on Thursday afternoon (9th), at the CT da Barra Funda.

Between last Monday (6th) and Wednesday (8th), only athletes who are recovering from injuries at Reffis will work.

This is a golden opportunity for coach Hernán Crespo to see if he can have any reinforcements in time for the club's next game, on the 16th (Thursday), at 7pm (Brasília time), against Grêmio, away from home.

Currently, Tricolor has five players handed over to its medical department: Calleri (left knee surgery), Ryan Francisco (left knee surgery), André Silva (injury to the posterior cruciate ligament and strain to the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee), Luan (right adductor injury) and Rafael Tolói (injury to the posterior region of the left thigh).

Of all of them, only Tolói has a chance of recovering in time for the clash against the gauchos. It is expected (and hoped) that Luan can start the transition period, but still without full conditions to play.

Apart from the injured, the period without games will serve for physical preparation to perfect the condition of idols Lucas and Oscar. Despite having recovered from their injuries and even being related (the number 7, for example, even played against Palmeiras), it is noticeable that both are far from their best physical form.

For this reason, the internal priority is to get the duo in full condition so that they can finally play without restrictions until the end of the season.

Oscar and Lucas have not played together for São Paulo since March 10, in the elimination in the semifinal of the Paulista Championship to the green rival. The absence of both at the same time complicated Crespo's life in the Brazil and Libertadores cups, where the team was eliminated in both in the quarterfinals.

For the clash against Grêmio, Crespo already knows that he can count on Rigoni, who served a suspension in the classic after being expelled against Fortaleza. On the other hand, he lost Pablo Maia, who received his third yellow card and is suspended.

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