José Martínez's injury in the South American Qualifiers worries Corinthians

Last Thursday night (14), Brazil and Venezuela drew 1-1, in Maturín, during the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. José Martínez, a Corinthians player, participated in the confrontation, but ended leaving injured in the second half, which creates concern for the São Paulo club following the Brazilian Championship.

Injury

Martínez had been standing out in the game against Brazil, however, 20 minutes into the second half, he was substituted after feeling pain due to a stomp received by Brazilian full-back Abner Vinícius. Having difficulty walking, he left the field and was replaced by Rincón.

Now, José Martínez will be examined by the Venezuelan team's medical team to determine the severity of the injury, and Corinthians awaits the result. Regardless of the diagnosis, Martínez was already out of Timão's next match, scheduled for Wednesday (20), at 11 am, against Cruzeiro, at Neo Química Arena, for the 34th round of the Brasileirão. Due to logistics, the athlete would not be Ramón Díaz's option for this game, with Raniele being the likely replacement.

_{Martínez in the match between Brazil and Venezuela (Photo: Reproduction/X/@welling36386472)}

Venezuelan highlight

Venezuela, currently eighth in the Qualifiers, is fighting for a place in the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. José Martínez, one of the pillars of the team led by Fernando Batista, stood out in the match against Brazil, accumulating three tackles, two cuts and one submission. At 30 years old, the Corinthians midfielder has already played 36 games for the Venezuelan national team.

At Corinthians, Martínez is a key player in Ramón Díaz's team and will be missing from the team in a direct confrontation against Cruzeiro, in the search for a place in the Libertadores. Timão, currently in tenth place with 41 points, is six points behind Cruzeiro, seventh placed and last team in the classification zone for the continental competition.

Featured photo: Corinthians athlete with the Venezuelan National Team (Reproduction/Instagram/@joseandresmartinez8)