In a sudden turn of events on the training ground, Zeca suffered an accidental injury, the details of which have yet to be revealed. Currently, he has returned to Brazil and is waiting for a professional evaluation to determine his rehabilitation plan. Undoubtedly, Zeca will miss the AFC Champions League elimination match against Kawasaki Frontale. With the knockout rounds getting closer, Taishan are faced with the challenge of finding a replacement. In desperation, the club decided to recall Delgado, who is away in Portugal, just in case.
According to the German transfer data, Taishan renewed Delgado's contract until 2024, and the new contract will be effective from next year. Since then, Delgado will register in the domestic league as a homegrown player without having to take up the foreigner quota. According to the rules of the Chinese Football Association, domestic clubs can only have one non-blood naturalized player on the field, which means that if Delgado and Fernando play at the same time, one of them will be counted as a foreigner. Delgado is expected to return at this point to fill Zeca's shoes for the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League.
Both Fernando and Delgado can be registered as domestic players in Super League matches. Who will make their debut will depend on their performance in training and matches. The return of Delgado has certainly stimulated the competitive atmosphere, and it is time for healthy competition between the two. This also avoids the problems caused by Fernando's "negative play" last season, as they now have strong competition for their positions and risk being replaced if they don't perform well.
