Palmeiras to finish Brasileirão without key starters, eye 2026 | OneFootball

Already thinking about squad management for the 2026 season, coach Abel Ferreira has decided to rest some of the starting players from Palmeiras for the last round of the Brazilian Championship, which is already settled, at least in the G4. With second place secured, Verdão is only fulfilling the fixture against Ceará this Sunday, at Arena Castelão.

Due to the wear and tear of the year, defenders Gustavo Gómez and Murilo, midfielder Andreas Pereira, and forward Vitor Roque had their vacations brought forward and did not travel with the squad to the capital of Ceará. Also staying in São Paulo were the suspended Raphael Veiga and Piquerez.

With the start of the Paulista Championship scheduled for the second week of January, clubs will have a shorter period between the end of this season and the start of the next. By preserving part of its starters, Verdão avoids further risk of injury. At the moment, they are dealing with five absences who are under the care of the Health and Performance Center staff.

Injuries in the final stretch raise an “alert”

Palmeiras lost players in their last two matches. Against Flamengo, in the Libertadores final, Felipe Anderson played for about 16 minutes and was diagnosed with a sprain in his left ankle. On that occasion, Verdão was defeated 1-0 and finished as runners-up.

Finally, in the 3-0 win over Atlético-MG, in a postponed match from the 34th round of the Brasileirão, Emiliano Martínez suffered a minor trauma to his left foot, becoming another absence for the season finale.

Palmeiras hopes for homegrown reinforcements in 2026

The expectation is that Felipe Anderson and Emiliano Martínez will be 100% ready for the return in 2026. Verdão’s number 7 had a 2025 plagued by injuries and hopes to recover physically for the next season.

Goalkeeper Weverton, who is treating a fracture in his right hand, also expects to be available to Abel Ferreira at the start of the year. Meanwhile, forward Paulinho and midfielder Lucas Evangelista are recovering from surgeries on their right thigh and tibia, respectively.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.