Palmeiras have little time before Bahia, Abel weighs changes | OneFootball

Palmeiras will have a short week and no chance to work with the full squad before facing Bahia in the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match is scheduled for Thursday (8) at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Nubank Parque, and it will be Verdão’s first game after the FIFA international break.

Abel Ferreira’s main challenge is precisely the return of the players called up by their national teams. Palmeiras will only gradually have the players back during the week, which reduces the time available for collective preparation before the Brasileirão fixture.

Paraguayan trio arrives first

Palmeiras’ Paraguayan players are expected to return before the other call-ups. Gustavo Gómez, Ramón Sosa and other players who were with the Paraguay national team are due to arrive in Brazil on Tuesday (6).

Once they report back, the coaching staff will carry out an individual assessment of each player’s condition, taking into account accumulated fatigue, minutes played, and travel time.

Arias and Argentines arrive later

Jhon Arias and the Argentine duo of Flaco López and Agustín Giay will have a longer trip and are only expected to return to Palmeiras during Wednesday (7).

Uruguayans Piquerez and Emiliano Martínez are also part of the group set to return closer to the match against Bahia.

As a result, Abel Ferreira will not have a single training session with all players available before the clash.

Abel considers changes in all three areas

Given the situation, Abel has still not decided the lineup that will start against Bahia. The tendency is for the coach to assess possible changes in defense, midfield, and attack.

In defense, the return of the called-up players could lead to changes compared to the team that has been used in training during the FIFA international break. The coaching staff will also have to individually assess the physical condition of the players returning from international duty.

In midfield, Jhon Arias appears as one of the options who could earn more space, but his involvement will depend directly on his condition after his run with the Colombian national team and the return logistics.

In attack, Flaco López is also a possibility. The Argentine returns to Palmeiras after representing Argentina and will be assessed by the coaching staff before the team is decided.

Decision will be left until the final days

The lineup to face Bahia should only be defined during the week. Abel Ferreira will have to combine information from the fitness and medical departments with the assessment made in training after the called-up players return.

The priority will be to understand which players will be in the best condition to start and which ones could be options as the match goes on.

Palmeiras therefore heads into the final days of preparation without an early definition of the starting lineup. The arrival of the called-up players will be decisive for Abel’s choices, and he could make changes in every area.

The clash with Bahia takes place on Thursday (8) at 9:30 p.m. in the Brazilian Championship. After the FIFA international break, Verdão begins a decisive stretch of the season, with matches in the Brasileirão, Libertadores, and Copa do Brasil.

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