São Paulo Faces Crusaders Amid Injury Woes This Sunday

São Paulo, Brazil – São Paulo will face Cruzeiro this Sunday, April 13, in the third round of the Campeonato Brasileiro at Morumbi Stadium. The match comes as São Paulo grapples with a significant number of injuries among key players, including Lucas Moura, Oscar, and Jonathan Calleri.

Lucas Moura is currently sidelined as he continues to recover from a right knee injury sustained over a month ago during the first round of the Campeonato Paulista semifinal on March 10. The club has described Moura’s situation as delicate, stating that he will not return to the field until he is physically fit. Rushing his comeback could potentially lead to more severe issues in the future.

Oscar is another absentee, suffering from an injury to his left thigh muscle, which will keep him out of action for the match. Meanwhile, Jonathan Calleri will serve a suspension after being sent off just 11 minutes into the second half during the previous match against Atlético-MG.

Compounding São Paulo’s injury troubles, midfielder Pablo Maia remains on the sidelines due to a right ankle ligament injury sustained in February against São Bernardo in the Campeonato Paulista. Reports suggest he will miss all matches in the first half of the year.

Luiz Gustavo is also recuperating after being hospitalized due to a pulmonary embolism. He has since been discharged but will undergo further evaluation in ten days before potentially returning to training. Fellow defender Arboleda recently battled muscle overload and is uncertain for upcoming contests.

Despite these challenges, São Paulo remains unbeaten in the Brasileirão, but they are yet to record a victory. Their most recent outings have resulted in scoreless draws against their opponents, leaving Coach Luis Zubeldía to navigate these difficulties. In the league standings, São Paulo is the only team yet to score a goal.

Cruzeiro enters the match after a rocky start in the league. Although they began with a 2-1 win, a subsequent 3-0 defeat has put pressure on the team and Coach Leonardo Jardim. A poor performance this Sunday could intensify scrutiny on the squad following these mixed results.

The anticipated lineup for São Paulo includes: Rafael; Ferraresi, Sabino (for Arboleda), Alan Franco; Igor Vinícius, Marcos Antônio, Alisson, Luciano, and Enzo Díaz (for Wendell); Ferreira and André Silva.

Cruzeiro is also dealing with its share of setbacks. Matheus Henrique is scheduled for surgery on a right knee meniscus injury, while teammate Jonathan Jesus is unavailable due to a previous suspension. The expected formation for the Raposa includes: Cássio; William, Villalba, Fabrício Bruno, and Kaiki Bruno; Lucas Romero, Lucas Silva, and Eduardo; Wanderson, Gabriel, and Dudu.

The match is set for 4 PM local time, with broadcasters Globo and Premiere both airing the game. Fans can tune in early for pre-game coverage starting at 2:30 PM.