Without Lucas Evangelista, see Abel’s midfield options for Palmeiras | OneFootball

Palmeiras lost one of its key players at a crucial point in the year. Midfielder Lucas Evangelista ruptured the tendon of his right hamstring. He will undergo surgery to correct the problem and is out for the rest of the season.

Evangelista's injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Palmeiras. The Libertadores and the Brazilian Championship are in the final stretch. Moreover, coach Abel Ferreira had recently found a tactical system that maximized his key players.

Palmeiras has a stacked squad and there are plenty of options for Abel. However, the coach will need to think hard to solve the midfield problem, as Evangelista was at his best with the Verdão shirt and was emerging as one of the team's leaders.

Andreas Pereira's fallback is an option

One of the main alternatives to fill the void left by Lucas Evangelista is to change the positioning of Andreas Pereira. The solution would be to drop the number 8 to play as a second defensive midfielder, which would require the inclusion of another player to perform the current role of the player.

There was an expectation that playing as a second defensive midfielder would be the natural role that Andreas Pereira would play at Palmeiras, as he has played in the position for many years. However, coach Abel Ferreira found a new position for the player, who is playing further forward, starting on the right side and often dropping into the middle.

Andreas Pereira can play as a second defensive midfielder (Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras)

Who plays in the attack?

If he decides to drop Andreas Pereira to play alongside Aníbal Moreno, the midfielder's spot on the right side in the 4-2-3-1 system would be open. In this sense, four athletes would compete for the position: Raphael Veiga, Maurício, Facundo Torres, and Ramón Sosa.

Each of them, of course, has distinct qualities. Raphael Veiga and Maurício, being midfielders by origin, could bring similar characteristics to what Andreas brings in the position, strengthening Palmeiras' offensive power in the middle and contributing to the associative play with Flaco López and Vitor Roque.

Veiga recovered from pubic pain in mid-September and returned to play good games for Palmeiras, mainly entering in the final stage. In 2025, he has four goals and seven assists in 37 games. Maurício, on the other hand, recently lost his place and is looking for new opportunities. The player has ten goals and seven assists in 38 matches.

The other two options would be Facundo Torres or Ramón Sosa, who are wingers by origin and could also perform the function on the right side. However, they are players with a more acute characteristic and would tend to concentrate Palmeiras' game on the wings, which could harm the 'Flaco-Roque' duo.

Facundo Torres arrived at Palmeiras at the beginning of the year and has eight goals and eight assists in 52 matches. Ramón Sosa was signed in July of this year and contributed with one goal and two assists in 14 matches.

Maintain system, but with distinct characteristic

The simplest option to replace Lucas Evangelista would be, in theory, just to change the player who plays alongside Aníbal Moreno as a second defensive midfielder. Verdão has in its squad the defensive midfielder Emiliano Martínez, as well as the youngster Allan, who can occasionally perform the function.

The problem with this alternative is that, in this case, Palmeiras could lose a bit in the creative sector and also in the rhythm of the offensive game. Evangelista was confident and brought great dynamism to Palmeiras' midfield, contributing mainly to the ball exit.

Emiliano Martínez, on the other hand, has more defensive characteristics, of a first defensive midfielder, just like the function performed by Aníbal Moreno. Allan, in turn, can also play in the position, but he usually plays as a midfielder on the sides of the field or as a winger.

Against Bahia, for example, Emiliano Martínez was chosen by the coaching staff to replace Evangelista. It remains to be seen whether the decision will be maintained for Wednesday's clash against Vasco. As Evangelista will miss the season, Abel will have to test to find the best solution.

System changes and improvisations

Abel Ferreira can also bet on a change in Palmeiras' tactical scheme, either to better accommodate Andreas Pereira or to find a way to replace Evangelista by filling the midfield. Another alternative is improvisations, as would be the case with Bruno Fuchs, who the coach has said has a lot of quality with the ball at his feet. The defender could act as a first defensive midfielder, bringing Aníbal or another player to play further forward.

Both alternatives, however, are extremely unlikely. This is because Palmeiras has just found a way to play that is very based on the current tactical scheme. In addition, the competitions are narrowing down, leaving less margin to promote riskier tests.

Palmeiras' situation in the Brasileirão

Palmeiras is in third place in the Brazilian Championship, with 49 points - five less than the leader Flamengo. Verdão comes from a 1-0 defeat to Bahia and saw the Rubro-Negro from Rio increase the lead at the top of the table.

Next Palmeiras matches

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