São Paulo to use FIFA break to get Tolói, Franco fit, tactics may change | OneFootball

RAFAEL EMILIANO@rafaelemilianoo

With the classification to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores secured, coach Hernán Crespo should start testing variations in his game system from the duel against Atlético-MG, on Sunday (24), at Morumbi, in the Brazilian Championship.

But one would be mistaken to think that the Argentine commander is looking for alternatives to his already traditional 3-5-2 just for technical reasons. Far from it. In fact, the change will be made out of necessity.

This is because Crespo has two problems. And right in the most lacking sector of the squad: defense. They are called Rafael Tolói and Alan Franco.

Announced last week as one of the club's reinforcements in this transfer window, Tolói, 34, has not played since June, when his contract with Atalanta, from Italy, ended.

Because of this, the player has been working normally with the squad, but needs time to recover his best physical form. The initial estimate is that it will take at least ten days for him to be fit.

Okay, the expectation is that Tolói would already be a São Paulo absentee for the clash with the miners this weekend. This is due to bureaucratic issues, since his name has not yet appeared in the CBF's BID (Daily Information Bulletin).

But the internal plan at Barra Funda goes to some extent beyond that. After Atlético, São Paulo will face a commitment against Cruzeiro, on the other Sunday (31), away from home. Theoretically, the time would be enough to meet the deadline set by the physical trainers. But it happens that soon after, São Paulo will gain a break motivated by the FIFA Date. And only returns to the field on the weekend of September 14, against Botafogo, at home.

And that's where it is: he shouldn't be the only one...

Who is in an identical situation is Alan Franco. Now with a renewed contract, the Argentine has been fighting against foot pain and has been playing in sacrifice. Not surprisingly, he was substituted in the last two games, where he started playing and ended up on the bench to receive ice applications. Without detecting any injury, the diagnosis is indeed one of wear and tear due to the accumulation of games.

And that's where Crespo's change comes in, as if forced. Already without Arboleda, injured and who should start his transition soon, the internal idea is to spare Tolói and Franco so that they return after the FIFA Date in full condition. With a view, of course, to the continental quarterfinal duel against LDU (the games are scheduled for the weeks of September 17 and 24).

Without alternatives in the squad, since only Ferraresi and Sabino remain as options for defense, Crespo can go back to using a 4-3-3, as he did against Sport, or even a 4-4-2. On the occasion, , a jewel of the base who has been frequenting the professionals since the Thiago Carpini era, at the beginning of last year, was the option on the bench. And so it should be done again.

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