São Paulo defender Kelvin has been sidelined for the remainder of the season after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in his left knee during training on Tuesday.
The Brazilian international was replaced by new signing Victor de Freitas, who made his debut against Fluminense on Saturday and scored his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw.
Kelvin is expected to undergo surgery in the coming days and will be out for several months. The club has confirmed that he will not be available for the rest of the league campaign or any potential Copa Libertadores matches.
The news comes as a major blow for the team, who are currently sitting in fourth place in the Serie A table and face a tough run of fixtures ahead. They will now have to find a replacement for Kelvin and hope that he recovers quickly enough to return to action before the end of the season.
Despite the setback, São Paulo manager Luiz Felipe Scolari remains confident that they can finish in the top four and secure a spot in the Europa League next season. The team will also look to their other options at right-back,Serie A Stadium with Bruno Henrique and Renato Augusto both available to play in the position.
In conclusion, the injury to Kelvin is a significant blow for São Paulo and will undoubtedly affect their chances of success this season. However, the club will still need to focus on finding a suitable replacement for him and hope that he recovers quickly enough to return to action before the end of the season.