‘Injuries at Palmeiras mean Paulinho needs more minutes’ | OneFootball

Palmeiras have now gone three straight matches without a win in the Brazilian Championship. The draw against Cruzeiro, at Arena Barueri, also left the team with losses that went beyond the poor result in the race for the top spot in the competition.

Ramón Sosa and Felipe Anderson were both substituted in the first half due to injury. The Paraguayan had become the option for that area after Vitor Roque's injury. As for the No. 7, he suffered a muscle problem in the first of two consecutive matches as a starter.

Abel Ferreira's options for those two situations were Mauricio and Lucas Evangelista, respectively. Luighi is not reliable and Paulinho is still a question mark. During the press conference, Abel did not want to comment on the condition of the No. 10 and said the matter was up to the medical department.

More time for Paulinho

Palmeiras have a Libertadores match to seal qualification for the round of 16 and then face Flamengo at the Maracanã. With absences up front, Paulinho is the one who offers the most quality to the team, especially in such an important match.

Limiting his involvement to 15 or 20 minutes per match is too little. As the coach mentioned, the club needs to make its position clear so the fans can know the striker’s real condition. Having him available for a stretch or for 60 minutes in Rio de Janeiro is essential, even if the price to pay is leaving him out of the final two matches before the break for the World Cup.

Real world

The suggestion above will be difficult to put into practice. Abel and his staff should opt for a system with the return of Allan and the presence of Mauricio, in a role more as a marker than an attacking midfielder. The thin squad of questionable quality assembled by the board puts Palmeiras’ lead in the Brasileirão under threat.

Palmeiras' upcoming matches

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