Matheuzinho suffers thigh injury vs Athletico-PR, Corinthians worry | OneFootball

Coach Dorival Júnior has another problem to deal with for the rest of the Corinthians season. Right-back Matheuzinho felt pain in the back of his right thigh during the second half of the match against Athletico-PR on Wednesday, at Ligga Arena, in the quarterfinals of the Copa do Brasil, and had to be substituted.

The player complained of discomfort after a sprint 15 minutes into the final stage and received treatment on the pitch. He was replaced by Félix Torres.

Matheuzinho will be assessed by Corinthians' medical department when the squad regroups. The situation, however, is of great concern to Dorival Júnior. At this time, the club does not have a substitute for the position and only has the makeshift Félix Torres.

Recently, Léo Mana, who was the immediate backup, was loaned to Criciúma. Timão is also prohibited from going to the market and strengthening the sector due to a transfer ban.

With a 1-0 victory over Athletico-PR, Corinthians only needs a draw in the return match to advance to the next phase. A defeat by one goal difference takes the match to penalties, while a loss by two or more goals eliminates the Paulistas. The winner of the clash faces Cruzeiro or Atlético-MG in the semifinals.

The second meeting between the teams is scheduled for September 10, also at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Neo Química Arena.

Before that, Corinthians has nothing less than a Derby ahead. Dorival Júnior's team hosts Palmeiras this Sunday, in Itaquera, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship. The classic will start at 6:30 pm.

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