São Paulo arrive in Ceará with new faces for Fortaleza clash | OneFootball

On Wednesday night, with the returns of Marcos Antônio and Oscar, São Paulo landed in Ceará aiming for the match against Fortaleza, valid for the 25th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Arena Castelão.

The two ‘homegrown’ reinforcements are the main news for São Paulo among those called up. Midfielder Marcos Antônio returned after discomfort in the rectus femoris muscle of his right leg, while Oscar recovered from fractures in three lumbar vertebrae. The number 8 hasn’t played since July 19.

The Tricolor delegation, however, arrived in Ceará with ten absences. Two of them were announced by the club this Wednesday: Alan Franco suffered muscle overload in the front part of his right thigh, and Lucas was rested by the coaching staff with an eye on the Choque-Rei on Sunday. Both stayed in the capital for individualized training.

São Paulo will also be missing defenders Arboleda, who is suspended due to accumulation of yellow cards, and Rafael Tolói, who has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in his left thigh.

In addition to these four players, coach Hernán Crespo still cannot count on forwards Ryan Francisco, Calleri, and André Silva, midfielders Luan and Luiz Gustavo, and defender Ferraresi, all of whom are in the medical department.

Headache in Defense

The recent loss of Alan Franco has made Crespo’s job even harder in setting up São Paulo’s defense against Fortaleza. That’s because the coach will also be without three other defenders from the squad: Arboleda, Rafael Tolói, and Ferraresi.

The coach called up young Isac from the under-20s to travel with the squad. Even so, with only two natural center-backs available, Crespo may be forced to change São Paulo’s tactical setup. Another solution is to give the youngster his debut, keep the system, and improvise midfielder Negrucci, as was done recently in the derby against Santos.

Probable São Paulo Lineup

A probable São Paulo lineup is: Rafael; Cédric Soares, Negrucci (Isac), Sabino, and Enzo Díaz; Marcos Antônio (Alisson), Bobadilla, and Rodriguinho; Rigoni, Ferreirinha, and Luciano.

São Paulo’s Situation in the Brasileiro

São Paulo has stalled in the Brasileirão standings and sits in eighth place, with 35 points. The Tricolor is going through a rough patch this season and, in addition to being eliminated from the Libertadores, is suffering a streak of four consecutive defeats.

Upcoming São Paulo Matches

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