Vasco finished preparing on Saturday for its trip to face Internacional at Beira-Rio, but Renato Gaúcho had several important absences among the starters for the match in Porto Alegre. The team played Internacional at 18:30 Brasília time in the 16th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, with Vasco sitting in 8th place on 20 points.
Thiago Mendes and Johan Rojas were both ruled out after receiving their third yellow card, while Cuiabano was still recovering from an edema in his left thigh. Spinelli was also unavailable after being released because of the birth of his daughter, and Adson did not travel because of load management.
Adson had shown fatigue, but his latest exams found no injury, and the decision to preserve him was made together by the DESP, the coaching staff and the player. Paulo Henrique was another absence after tests showed a sprain in his right ankle, leaving him in Rio de Janeiro to begin intensive treatment with the medical department.
That forced Vasco to shape a probable lineup that included Léo Jardim, Puma Rodríguez, Cuesta, Robert Renan, Lucas Piton, Barros, Hugo Moura, Tchê Tchê, Nuno Moreira or Marino, Andrés Gómez and David. For Renato, the trip to Beira-Rio was less about choosing from a full squad than managing what was left after suspensions, recovery work and protection decisions took several starters out of the picture.
The match against Internacional offered Vasco a chance to hold its place in the upper half of the table, but it came with a thinner bench and a lineup built around players who were fit enough to travel. The absence of Paulo Henrique, in particular, cut into the team’s options at a moment when every point matters in the league race.
