Palmeiras: Paulinho to cut short his holiday, aiming for early 2026 return | OneFootball

With only two games left in the season, Palmeiras is already thinking about 2026 and planning for the arrivals and departures of some players. The forward Paulinho, who was signed in 2025 but played little due to a tibia injury in his right leg, will 'reinforce' the squad next year.

Recovery during the holidays

NOSSO PALESTRA has learned that the number 10 will give up part of his vacation to fully recover from the injury so that he can be training with all the athletes at the beginning of 2026 and be ready for the first games of the year.

Internally, the expectation for Paulinho's return is high. The player was one of the major signings for the season and was decisive in the few moments he played, such as in the Club World Cup.

Even without being of an older age, the forward is considered to have great experience, something that, according to coach Abel Ferreira, was lacking in the Conmebol Libertadores final.

Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras

Palmeiras' explanations

During the Club World Cup, the Alviverde confirmed the need for a new surgery as previously reported by NP. Dr. Pedro Pontin, the medical coordinator of the Health and Performance Center, explained the details of the process.

– It was discussed again with the athlete, along with the technical staff, and it was concluded that the best course of action would be to interrupt this phase, step back a bit in the treatment to make a new attempt, a new surgery. Well, the new procedure is basically a fixation of this bone; we intend to use an implant that is strong enough to withstand the new load it will be subjected to later. This fixation is combined with what we call a bone graft, which is material from the athlete's own body placed at the injury site, and this fixation will provide stability, giving the bone the greatest possible stability to withstand future training and game loads that the athlete will face. – he said

Upcoming Palmeiras games

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