Corinthians host Chapecoense on Sunday at 19h30 in the 26th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro at Neo Química Arena, with Fernando Diniz choosing to keep his strongest available team on the field despite the absences that still shape the squad. Amazon Prime will transmit the match, and ge will follow every move in real time.
The timing matters because Corinthians arrive after three straight Brasileirão losses and with 32 points, a mid-table position that leaves little room for another stumble. Chapecoense are last with 14 points in 24 games, a total that leaves them far from safety and still waiting on a postponed match against Vasco that has no date set.
Diniz’s plan changed as the week moved on. Corinthians will be without Hugo Souza, Raniele, Gabriel Paulista, André and Yuri Alberto, but the team still points toward a competitive spine, with Memphis Depay available as the attacking reference. The probable lineup has Kauê; Matheuzinho, João Pedro Tchoca, Gustavo Henrique and Matheus Bidu; Allan, Carrillo, Breno Bidon and Rodrigo Garro; Kaio César and Memphis Depay.
The absences are not all alike. Hugo Souza, Raniele and Gabriel Paulista are out because of suspension after the third yellow card, André is dealing with a muscle injury in the back of the right thigh, and Yuri Alberto remains under treatment for fibrosis. That mix means Corinthians are missing players who had been central to the side’s balance, yet the expectation is still for a strong XI before the team turns to the Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals against Estudiantes de La Plata on day 9.
Chapecoense also arrive with problems that go beyond the table. Bruno Pacheco is suspended and Fernando is expected to replace him, while Camilo returns after missing the previous round against Grêmio because of a loan issue and a third yellow-card suspension. Bolasie has been cleared by the medical staff after recovering from a pancreas problem and is an option for Rafael Lacerda, but the probable lineup remains Anderson; Heitor, Kauan Faria, Eduardo Doma and Fernando; Camilo, Yago Felipe and Giovanni Augusto; Marcinho, Túlio Eduardo and Garcez.
There is still a catch on both sides of the ledger. Corinthians are pushing a near-full-strength response even with André Ramalho out with labyrinthitis, Zakaria Labyad sidelined by a meniscus injury and a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in the left knee, Vitinho in physical transition and Kayke recovering from surgery on the same knee. Chapecoense, meanwhile, must also cope without Rafael Carvalheira, Bruno Tubarão, Max Alves, Vinícius Balieiro, Robert and João Paulo, while Eduardo Doma, Ênio and Rubens are suspended.
Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães will referee the match, with Rodrigo Figueiredo Henrique Correa and Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinh as assistants. For Corinthians, the bigger picture is already forming around day 9 in the Libertadores, but Sunday first asks whether a team built to stay aggressive can stop its league slide before the calendar turns to La Plata.
