Palmeiras plan changes for Botafogo, Arthur suspended and without Abel | OneFootball

Palmeiras resumed on Friday after reaching the Copa do Brasil semi-finals and will face Botafogo at 18:30 on Sunday without left-back Arthur and head coach Abel Ferreira. They drew 0-0 with Santos at Vila and advanced.

According to Globo.com, the STJD upheld Arthur’s dismissal and denied the club’s appeal, which argued the caution should have been shown to Lucas Evangelista. Abel received a two-match ban, for Botafogo and São Paulo, after kicking a microphone during the draw with Mirassol.

Assistant João Martins will lead from the touchline and Joaquín Piquerez returns at left-back. At the Academia de Futebol, players who featured for more than 45 minutes on Wednesday did indoor recovery, while the rest worked on passing and possession in tight spaces, plus finishing and final-third duels.

In midweek, Abel rested Gustavo Gómez for energy management and could restore the captain. He used Lucas Evangelista in midfield to push Maurício forward and left Vitor Roque out, later criticising the striker for fitness and then attitude. Alongside Piquerez and Barboza, Jhon Arias was back in the squad on Wednesday and could feature.

The final session is scheduled for Saturday before the line-up is set. A likely XI is Carlos Miguel, Giay, Murilo, Gustavo Gómez (Barboza) and Piquerez, Marlon Freitas with Andreas Pereira, then Jhon Arias, Felipe Anderson (Evangelista) and Maurício (Vitor Roque), with Flaco López up front.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”