Without playing on the last weekend of the Brazilian Championship, São Paulo returned to training this Monday (4th), starting preparations for the team’s next game for the competition, against the international, on September 13th. Coach Dorival Júnior had some absences due to call-ups, but he was also without an athlete because of an injury.
Attacking midfielder Marcos Paulo suffered an injury in training last Friday (1st) and tests carried out over the weekend confirmed a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He will have to undergo surgery, but the date has not yet been determined.
Attacking midfielder Marcos Paulo was found to have ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The injury occurred in training last Friday and was confirmed at the end of the week.
The athlete will undergo surgery on a date yet to be defined. pic.twitter.com/Qc3i7EVKob
— Sao Paulo FC (@SaoPauloFC) September 4, 2023
Loaned by Atlético de Madrid, from Spain, until the end of 2023, the 22-year-old midfielder made 29 appearances for São Paulo and scored just four goals. Recently, he has not been used with the main team or leaving the bench, only going to the field against Cuiabá and Red Bull Bragantino for the Brasileirão, when Tricolor entered with reserves.
Even because it is little used, São Paulo should not exercise the purchase option established in the contract with Atlético de Madrid, worth 3 million euros (about 16 million reais).
Pivot of controversy with Ceni
Marcos Paulo was involved in a controversy that made it difficult for him to stay and was one of Rogério Ceni’s last acts before being fired in his second spell as the club’s coach.
After having a few minutes in a sequence of games, Marcos Paulo made a post on social networks that was interpreted by Ceni as provocative. The coach charged the attacking midfielder in the middle of the squad and generated a crisis.
The former Fluminense player came to play with Ceni after the controversy and scored three goals in four games, giving hope to the fan who would be more productive with the arrival of Dorival Júnior. But it didn’t take long for the performance to drop and Dorival left the 22-year-old player aside.
The selectable ones
Three important players were also missing, but because of call-ups during the Fifa Date. Arboleda was released for Ecuador and James Rodríguez for Colombia in duels for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, while Welington was called up to the pre-Olympic squad.
Arboleda and Ecuador face Argentina, on Thursday (7th), in Buenos Aires, and Uruguay, on the 12th (Tuesday), in Quito. James and Colombia face Venezuela, on Thursday (7), in Barranquilla, and Chile, on the 12th (Tuesday), in Santiago.
Welington and the pre-Olympic Brazilian team will play two friendlies against Morocco, in Fez, on the 7th and 11th of September.