302 days until return: Paulinho’s road to a Palmeiras recall

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Nosso Palestra

·2 May 2026

302 days until return: Paulinho’s road to a Palmeiras recall

Palmeiras face Santos this Saturday (02), at 9 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Allianz Parque, for the Brazilian Championship. The big news for the match is the return of Paulinho; the No. 10 will be included in the squad after 302 days away from the pitch.

Serious injury

While still playing for Atlético-MG, Paulinho was feeling severe pain in his shin. Even so, the forward did not stop playing for the Minas Gerais club, which was going through a season full of decisive matches. Over time, the player developed a stress and impact fracture in the bone.

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At the end of the season, he underwent shin surgery while still with the Minas Gerais club’s staff and transferred to Palmeiras shortly afterward.

After arriving at Verdão, the forward recovered from the injury and made his debut in the green-and-white shirt on April 12 against Corinthians in Barueri. However, the No. 10 was still suffering from pain in the shin area, but even so he was taken to the FIFA Club World Cup, where he experienced one of the best moments of his career.

Even in pain, he was decisive in Palmeiras’ campaign with two goals, one of them against Botafogo. But the Club World Cup left serious aftereffects on the forward, who did not play again after the elimination against Chelsea on July 4.

Palmeiras player Paulinho challenges Chelsea FC player for the ball during the quarterfinal match of the FIFA Club World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field. (Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras/by Canon)

New surgery and lengthy treatment

After the FIFA Club World Cup, the forward had to leave the pitch again to undergo shin surgery. At first, the fans expected him to return by the end of the season, but that was unthinkable given the severity and rarity of the No. 10’s problem.

During treatment, Paulinho spent about six months without doing any impact activity, only doing strength work and waiting for the area that had been operated on for the second time in less than a year to heal.

After the healing period, Paulinho began the most delicate part of the process: increasing the load and putting impact on the area. Over time, he was taken onto the pitch to do movements with the physiotherapists, but without the ball.

Gradually, the forward began activities with the group, taking part in the warm-up, rondos, and later playing in training scrimmages with the players. The next increase in workload was beginning to train fully with the squad, even traveling to Salvador and Colombia.

Even so, the forward was not being called up, and Palmeiras handled his situation cautiously to protect the player, who was eager to return, as NOSSO PALESTRA learned.

Return in a derby

In an official statement this Friday (01), Palmeiras officially announced Paulinho’s return to matches after more than 300 days. The forward commented on the situation with happiness and anxiety.

It’s already been a remarkable and emotional day. Of course, this week I had it in my head that there was a great chance of being included in the squad for the game, and we worked very hard on that since Monday. No matter how much we prepare our minds, there’s always a little anxiety, which is normal. My conscience is at peace because of everything I fought for, everything I worked for to reach this moment of being called up again and being available to the coach to help the team. I believe tomorrow will be even more emotional, with my family in the stadium, returning after a very difficult period, both physically and mentally. I’m trying to take in this moment, and I hope to crown it tomorrow with a victory and, if possible, a few minutes in the match.

His return does not mean Paulinho is 100%; the forward still needs to go through a few more recovery steps, but he is now available, according to NSP coordinator Daniel Gonçalves.

Clinical recovery has already taken place, along with the consolidation of the fracture corrected by surgery, but this final phase still requires biomechanical and physical parameters to be met and, therefore, the athlete is not yet fully cleared for matches. The fact that he is being called up for this game does not mean that, from now on, he will be called up regularly. That will depend on the progression of the workload and on how he responds when he is used. Whether he plays a little or not, he will be pushed in training during the week, and all of that will help build the structure and foundation Paulinho needs to withstand the 2026 season.