Abel to rest players before quarters, chases Paulista top spot | OneFootball

Abel Ferreira started the season rotating the Palmeiras team to manage the squad, which is competing in both the Paulista and the Brasileiro simultaneously, in order to manage the squad's energy and avoid early wear and tear. As the competitions progressed, the coach established a starting lineup and repeated the lineup in the last three games.

Despite the positive results in all three instances, against Guarani, Abel is expected to field an alternative lineup. Verdão is already qualified for the quarterfinals and can rest some players to have them in better shape for the quarterfinals, which will be played next weekend.

The Paulistão started on January 10, about a week after Palmeiras' official return. Meanwhile, the Brasileirão began on the 28th. With just over a month since the start of the season, Verdão has played ten games and has seven wins, one draw (Atlético-MG), and two losses (Novorizontino and Botafogo-SP).

“We had a week to prepare for the first game in the Paulista. We had games where we played very well, and others where we lost. I don't have a short memory. I remember very well, I'm very attentive. We played against Novorizontino and Botafogo-SP where we rotated the team, but then we managed to keep the team fresh. It's a pity that in those games we didn't always get the result we wanted,” said the coach.

“For example, against Botafogo-SP, I think we started very well. Then, throughout the game, we lost some capacity, and our opponent ended up winning because football is like that, no one is sure of the results. We are going to manage this, but knowing that here in Brazil, due to the intensity, the trips, the hours you get home. The importance of player recovery physically, the importance of sleep deprivation. This is a detail that few people care about or don't want to connect with, but it's a detail that makes all the difference to have a whole, dynamic team,” Abel continued.

Palmeiras had injury problems

Right at the start of the season, Palmeiras needed to give more care to Vitor Roque, who suffered from knee pain, and Andreas Pereira, who injured his shoulder in the second round and missed two matches. Besides them, Felipe Anderson struggled with knee discomfort and a sprained left ankle.

“We will seek, within what is our schedule, here within our processes, to make the best decisions so that the team remains competitive in all games and competitions,” stated the Palmeiras coach.

Palmeiras' situation in the Paulista

Palmeiras is the runner-up in the Campeonato Paulista, with 15 points earned, one less than Novorizontino, which leads the table. In total, Verdão has achieved five victories and suffered two losses in seven games played.

Already qualified for the quarterfinals in advance, Palmeiras heads into the last round aiming for the top of the table. To do so, they need to beat Bugre and hope for a slip-up from Novorizontino, who face Red Bull Bragantino away from home.

Details of the next game

Game: Palmeiras vs. Guarani Competition: Campeonato Paulista (8th round) Date and time: February 15, 2026 (Sunday), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) Location: Arena Crefisa Barueri (SP)

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