Abel’s plan for Palmeiras squad during Copa do Brasil schedule changes | OneFootball

The calendar of Brazilian football has undergone changes for 2026. Palmeiras returned last Sunday and will have only four days to train before their debut in the Campeonato Paulista, which takes place this Saturday, against Portuguesa, at 8:30 PM (Brasília time), at Canindé.

At the end of the month, Verdão also faces its first commitment in the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Thinking about the long season ahead, Abel Ferreira indicated how he plans to manage his squad. Already at the first training session, the coach included youth academy players, who are expected to gain more space in the team throughout the year. Some of them are: Erick Belé, Larson, Riquelme Fillipe, and Luis Pacheco.

This is not a new philosophy for the club. Last year, the coaching staff rotated the squad in the first months of the season to avoid fatigue or more serious injuries early on.

“Normally, you give three to four weeks to prepare for the first official match. In any case, we have to adapt, find solutions, and use this period to give opportunities to all players because it will be humanly impossible to pick a team and already start wearing them out at the beginning of a long and exhausting season. We will approach this competition as we always do, also preparing it in the sense of recharging our players’ batteries and going into every match with the mentality of playing to win until the last second,” said Abel.

Palmeiras wants to respond after going trophyless in 2025

The Palmeiras players went on vacation on December 8, one day after the end of the Brazilian Championship, in which they finished as runners-up. In addition, Verdão also finished second in the Campeonato Paulista and the Libertadores. As a result, they went without lifting any trophies for the first time since 2020.

“Palmeiras will also do what it always does, use all the resources it has. We know that the players are coming off a 30-day vacation, which is important, after 11 months of high-level competition, intensity, risk, and travel, to be able to disconnect, recharge, and spend time with family,” said Abel.

New format for the Paulistão

The 2026 Campeonato Paulista has undergone a change in format. In the first phase, Verdão faces Santos, São Paulo, Corinthians, Mirassol, Grêmio Novorizontino, Botafogo-SP, and Guarani. The top eight teams after eight rounds overall advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played in a single match.

Next Palmeiras match

Portuguesa vs Palmeiras Competition: Campeonato Paulista (1st round) Date and time: January 10, 2026 (Saturday), at 8:30 PM (Brasília time) Venue: Estádio do Canindé

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