Cruzeiro Faces Ceará Without Top Scorer Kaio Jorge

Belo Horizonte, Brazil (November 29, 2025) — The Cruzeiro Football Club will be without its top scorer Kaio Jorge as they face Ceará on Saturday night at 9 p.m. local time. Kaio Jorge missed the game due to muscle fatigue, a precaution taken to protect him for the crucial final weeks of the Brazilian Championship season.

Cruzeiro’s head coach, Leonardo Jardim, is expected to replace Kaio Jorge with Gabriel Barbosa for this key match in the 36th round of the competition. A victory could place Cruzeiro in the title race, potentially moving them ahead of Palmeiras and narrowing the gap to leader Flamengo.

Originally reported by Central da Toca, the absence of Kaio Jorge was confirmed by Globo Esporte. This season, Kaio Jorge has made 43 appearances, contributing 26 goals and eight assists. He leads all scorers in the league with 21 goals, followed closely by Arrascaeta, who has 18.

In addition to Kaio Jorge, the team will also miss center-back João Marcelo, who has recently returned from a long recovery from a serious knee injury. He too reported physical fatigue and has been rested.

The match against Ceará is critical as a win would elevate Cruzeiro to 71 points, putting them just four points behind Flamengo, currently leading the league.