• Published on 04/25/2024 – 07:00 • Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
O Vasco faces Criciúma in São Januário this Saturday (27), at 4pm, in the fourth round of the Brazilian Championship 2024. After two consecutive defeats, Cruz-Maltino may have a turnaround on their way home. One of the reasons to believe in victory is the expectation of Dimitri Payet’s return.
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The Frenchman has not yet played for the Brasileirão due to an injury to the medial collateral ligament of his right knee during training before the start of the national competition. With the absence of number 10, Ramón Díaz has had a headache in putting together a midfield that is efficient in scoring and creating plays.
Another important absence that has impacted the drop in performance is Gary Medel. The Chilean was released to visit his mother, in Chile, where she is in a serious health condition. The player is now back in Rio, participated in training and is available for Saturday’s clash.
With Medel on the field, Vasco has not yet conceded a goal in the Brasileirão. Against Grêmio, the defender was substituted 20 minutes into the second half, and just then, the Rio club lost.
In the case of Payet, the player is in the transition phase after the injury, and has already trained on the field at CT Moacyr Barbosa. As the midfielder will have the week to train, it is likely that the Frenchman will progress with his work on the field. He will be re-evaluated daily to make sure he will be fit to play against Criciúma. Despite the rapid progress, the number 10 is still not 100%.
After the clash against Fluminense, Ramón Díaz spoke about expectations for the midfielder’s return:
“We hope he recovers and is 100%. We need him, but prepared. Last year, he came without activity, lost 10 or 12 kilos and we put him back at 100%. The club’s physiologists and physical trainers are working very well”, said the Argentine coach.
Last Tuesday, Payet trained on the field for the first time after a physiotherapy session, but felt pain in his knee, according to ge. Despite the urgency in the return of important players, Vasco does not accelerate their return and understands that they will only play the 37-year-old player when he is no longer in pain.
