Future Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus has thanked Palmeiras' medical staff after his speedy recovery from injury saw him score in a 1-1 draw with Flamengo.
The Brazil international had left their previous game against Gremio on a stretcher just four days earlier, but was fit to play the full 90 minutes and net an equaliser in the Serie A clash.
After firing Palmeiras level, Gabriel Jesus ran to celebrate with the physios on the bench, later praising them for their role in his remarkable return to health.
"After the goal, I came here to embrace one of the physiotherapists," he was quoted by Globo Esporte. "Jomar [Ottoni], Marcelo [Gondo], everyone in the medical department. I owe a lot to them."
Head coach Cuca later conceded it was a risk to play the 19-year-old, but he trusted the judgement of his staff.
"In football, you have to take risk," he told a news conference. "You will not have a player with no pain, no. Any player, by shock, or by training contact, has pain.
"It is up to us, as professionals, to assess whether it is that a major pain can be aggravated.
"The injury had no risk of being serious, but none of us would be irresponsible to let the boy play if there was a risk of compromise. We do the right things."
Gabriel Jesus will join City in January after a deal was agreed in the off-season for a big-money move.
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
‘England have the players to win the World Cup – it’ll be tough for Thomas Tuchel to do a bad job, with the squad he has at his disposal’ Former Three Lions winger backs new boss after gentle qualifying draw
