Palmeiras midfielder Marcos Assunção has stated he wants to face rivals Corinthians tomorrow, despite still being injured.
The 36-year-old was scheduled to return from a right knee arthroscopy on September 20, after being sidelined for nearly a month.
However, the Palmeiras captain wants to make a “sacrifice” and return to action tomorrow for the Derby Paulista.
He said: “I’m sacrificing myself for the club and my teammates. I still have a swollen knee, although no pain, but I want to help the team out of this situation as soon as possible.
“I’m doing this for Palmeiras, because I love this club and I have learned to live intensely for the classics.
“If I were a bad character, I would never put myself forward for a game like this, I would hide. But On the contrary, it is precisely this type of game I’m more than happy to wear the shirt of Palmeiras.”
The veteran midfielder also lamented the departure of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was recently sacked following a string of defeats.
Assunção added: “I had a father and son relationship with Scolari. He considered me his right arm. I was very upset with his departure.
“I have also saw statements saying I was only coming back because Scolari left, and I am totally against this kind of thinking. It is not part of my nature.”
