Vitor Roque fitness shortfall as Abel rules out reinforcements | OneFootball

Abel Ferreira played down the need for attacking reinforcements after a 1-1 draw at Mirassol, stressing players must be in shape and flagging Vitor Roque as short of fitness.

According to Globo.com, the centre-forward returned in late July from ankle surgery that kept him out for three months and has not hit his early-season level.

He reappeared as a substitute in the defeat to Atlético-MG and, across 11 outings since, has yet to complete 90 minutes.

He scored from the spot in the 4-1 win over Vasco, but also missed clear chances, including against Mirassol. Ferreira has tied the team's style to players' physical sharpness.

Roque's left ankle troubled him from early 2026. After the Campeonato Paulista he missed 40 days, then an April tackle against Jacuipense caused a ligament injury that led to surgery.

During the Copa break, his recovery surpassed expectations. After the draw with Cerro Porteño, he admitted the comeback after two or three months out is hard and vowed to keep training and physio to reach 100%.

Injuries have mounted, with Paulinho, Jhon Arias and Piquerez now in the treatment room, while Ramón Sosa and Jefté remain out, the latter due back only in 2027. With three competitions ahead, Palmeiras visit Santos on Wednesday in the Copa do Brasil quarter-final second leg at Vila Belmiro, 21:30 Brasília.

Source: Globo.com

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