Lucas undergoes knee surgery, São Paulo optimistic about recovery | OneFootball

The attacking midfielder Lucas underwent surgery on Saturday morning. During the procedure, fibrosis was found and removed from the 33-year-old player's right knee, leading São Paulo to predict a favorable prognosis for recovery.

Lucas suffered a partial injury to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), associated with a posterior stretch of the joint capsule. The athlete responded well to conservative treatment and met the parameters to return to play, but continued to experience pain, especially when starting and bending the knee.

São Paulo, therefore, decided to perform a diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy procedure on Saturday. The club confirmed that the athlete has adequate ligament stability and found no signs of instability in the knee, with the PCL fully healed.

According to a medical report signed by Moisés Cohen, a consultant for the club, the probable cause of the pain is the presence of scar tissue/synovial fibrosis around the ligament. With the resection of the finding around the PCL, the tendency is for symptoms to improve.

Lucas is expected to be discharged on Saturday and, during the recovery protocol, will be monitored by the physiotherapy team from São Paulo's medical department. There will be regular clinical monitoring to assess the resolution of the problem and return to the field.

Without Lucas, São Paulo takes the field to face Cruzeiro at 9pm (Brasília time) this Saturday, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship, at the Mineirão Stadium. The attacking midfielder has not played since the clash with Atlético Nacional, in the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores.

Check out the medical report released by São Paulo in full:

1. Initial Diagnosis

Partial injury to the Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) associated with a posterior stretch of the joint capsule. · Evolution: Strictly followed the rehabilitation protocol based on progressive functional guidelines, with a good response to conservative treatment and progressive return to training, achieving all the expected parameters for a professional football athlete, such as: restored muscle strength in isokinetic tests, mobility, neuromuscular control, tolerance to specific functional and technical training loads, with good sports performance, including participation in games.

2.⁠ ⁠Current Situation

Despite all the positive aspect regarding the functional aspect and never referring to any sign of instability or insecurity, he was complaining of persistent painful discomfort in the posterior region of the right knee during more demanding sports gestures, in particular, when starting and bending the knee. The monitoring of images by Magnetic Resonance showed a good biological evolution of healing. On July 18, he underwent an analgesic and anti-inflammatory infiltration, guided by ultrasound, around the posterior cruciate ligament, having presented temporary improvement.

3.⁠ ⁠Medical Conduct

Due to the persistent painful discomfort, a diagnostic and therapeutic arthroscopy was indicated for 08/30/2025, with the objective of evaluating the origin of the posterior pain and ruling out ligament instability or associated injuries.

4. Clinical and Intraoperative Findings

Examination under anesthesia: Adequate ligament stability. Absence of signs of instability in the knee.

Arthroscopy

Meniscal and cartilage structures - Normal Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) fully healed. Presence of scar tissue/synovial fibrosis around the ligament, probable cause of the reported pain. Intraoperative conduct: Resection of scar tissue/fibrosis around the PCL.

5.⁠ ⁠Final Considerations

Prognosis: Favorable, with a tendency for clinical symptoms to improve after fibrosis removal.

Postoperative Conduct

Discharge from the hospital expected on the same day of the procedure. Maintenance of the recovery protocol with functional progression followed by the physiotherapy team of SPFC's DM. Periodic clinical monitoring to assess pain resolution and full return to sports performance. The medical team remains attentive to the athlete's clinical evolution and will continue to carry out systematic reassessments focused on performance, safety, and longevity of Lucas Moura's sports career.

Professor Dr. Moisés Cohen CRM-SP 31863 Medical Consultant – São Paulo Football Club

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