Vasco standout from 2023 aims to bounce back | OneFootball

Paulinho put on the Vasco jersey again last Sunday, against Ceará, after almost two months without playing. The 28-year-old midfielder entered the final minutes of the match, taking advantage of the absence of four defensive midfielders — Hugo Moura, Jair, Tchê Tchê and Thiago Mendes — and the need for Fernando Diniz to reinforce the midfield at a time of advantage on the scoreboard.

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Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

On that occasion, the coach lined up Nuno Moreira and Coutinho as defensive midfielders. With Barros and Cocão already substituted, the solution was to launch Oliveira and Paulinho to balance the marking. Despite the return, the player still lives in a scenario of little space: in August, he did not play any matches, and in July he only played 18 minutes, added up in two participations against Independiente del Valle, for the South American.

His last Brazilian Championship game had taken place on May 24, against Fluminense, entering in the final moments of the defeat at Maracanã. As a starter, there were only three opportunities in the competition: against Santos, Ceará and Vitória.

From hope to fall after injury

Hired in 2023, Paulinho was one of the highlights of Ramón Díaz's team, changing the dynamics of a Vasco pressured in the relegation zone. However, in 2024, right in the second match of the season, he suffered a serious injury to the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee, against Bangu, and was sidelined for almost ten months.

The return happened at the end of the Brazilian Championship of that year, against Atlético-GO, but since then the midfielder has not been able to repeat the performance that had excited fans and technical staff. Under Fábio Carille, he managed to have good moments in the Carioca, scoring and assisting in two consecutive games, but did not have continuity.

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Photo: Thiago Ribeiro/AGIF

With the arrival of Fernando Diniz in May, Paulinho began to frequent the bench more. According to a report by ge, the player is mainly facing a drop in confidence since the serious injury, and the technical staff has been working on the psychological aspect so that the technical performance reappears.

The hope is that, with new chances and a solid mental recovery, Paulinho can find the protagonism he has already shown at São Januário.

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