Injury setback: Lucas Evangelista eyes Palmeiras return in 2026 | OneFootball

The midfielder Lucas Evangelista joined Palmeiras in March this year, after playing in the Campeonato Paulista for Red Bull Bragantino, to strengthen the squad following the transfer of Zé Rafael to Santos. The signing of the former Massa Bruta player was also considered an early replacement for the departure of Richard Ríos, who was sold to Benfica in July.

Evangelista took on the responsibility in the starting lineup after the Colombian's departure and had a good run among the starting eleven until he suffered a serious injury to his right thigh at the end of September, in a 1-0 defeat against Bahia, during the 25th round of the Brasileirão, at Arena Fonte Nova.

On that occasion, he had to leave the field before the 20th minute of the first half. The match was also marked by intense complaints about the field conditions. Evangelista tore the tendon of the posterior muscle of his right thigh, underwent surgery, and became a loss for Palmeiras for the rest of the season.

Evangelista's Season at Palmeiras

With a leadership spirit, he impressed Abel Ferreira in his early moments at Palmeiras and played his first game as a starter in a goalless draw against Botafogo on March 30, during the first round of the Brazilian Championship, playing the full 90 minutes alongside Richard Ríos. With the coach testing his midfield, he started two more games shortly after.

In the Club World Cup, he was a substitute and played in only two games, coming off the bench in the debut against Porto and starting in the draw with Inter Miami. In the latter, Verdão played without Aníbal Moreno, who was injured. Ríos's departure opened up space for Evangelista to secure a starting position, which was not threatened even with the arrival of Andreas Pereira.

Serious Injury Takes Lucas Evangelista Out of Action

Lucas Evangelista was experiencing his best moment of the season when he suffered the injury, with 17 consecutive games and two goals scored. He even wore the captain's armband. Even with Evangelista established, Palmeiras sought the signing of Andreas Pereira from Fulham to strengthen the squad.

At the time, there was an expectation that the two would compete for the position, but the number 30 remained in the team even with the arrival of the new number 8. Abel Ferreira, in fact, had a headache trying to rebuild his ideal team since losing Evangelista.

See Lucas Evangelista's Numbers for Palmeiras

Recovery and Plans for 2026 at Palmeiras

Evangelista was one of the athletes who maintained a routine at the Football Academy after most of the squad went on vacation. He continued under the care of the professionals from the Health and Performance Center to continue his injury treatment. The midfielder will still be absent at the beginning of the year, but he hopes to regain his place and re-establish himself.

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