Guangzhou's Alan, Elkeson return to Brazil ahead of CSL start

Chinese naturalised players Alan Carvalho and Elkeson have left Guangzhou FC and returned to their native Brazil ahead of this weekend's resumption of the Chinese Super League (CSL), reports in Chinese media said.

Alan and Elkeson are the latest departures at Guangzhou, who are backed by embattled property developer China Evergrande Group, which has been struggling to meet repayments on over US$300 billion in debt.

Foreign players Paulinho, Anderson Talisca and Ricardo Goulart have also departed the club.

Earlier this week, player Zheng Zhi was appointed acting head coach of Guangzhou after Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro left.

The CSL has been suspended since August to accommodate China's qualifying games for the 2022 World Cup and will resume on Sunday, with second-placed Guangzhou set to face Beijing Guoan.