On loan from Corinthians, full-back starts after almost nine months | OneFootball

Loaned by Corinthians to Universidad Católica of Ecuador, Diego Palacios was given another opportunity in the starting lineup after a long period. Last Monday, the left-back started the match against Mushuc Runa, valid for the 17th round of the Ecuadorian Championship, played at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito. His team ended up losing 3-2.

The defender stayed on the field for 63 minutes in Universidad Católica’s first match after the calendar was paused due to the World Cup. He was then replaced by Eric Valencia.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

According to a survey by Sofascore, Palacios posted a good passing accuracy rate by completing 29 of his 31 attempts, reaching 94% accuracy. In addition, he made one possession recovery, created one scoring chance, and won one of the five duels he contested throughout the match.

The Ecuadorian left the pitch in the 18th minute of the second half, when his team was still trailing 2-0. None of Universidad Católica’s conceded goals came with the player’s direct involvement.

The last time Palacios had started a match was on October 19, 2025. At the time, he was playing for Karpaty of Ukraine, a club he was also representing on loan from Corinthians.

The full-back is going through a period of increased use under head coach Diego Martínez. Before the two consecutive matches in which he was called upon, he had gone more than a month without taking the field, remaining on the bench in four straight matches.

Since arriving at Universidad Católica, the player has played 10 official matches. In total, he has logged 224 minutes on the field, averaging just over 22 minutes per game.

Palacios returned to Ecuadorian football at the start of this season, shortly after ending his spell at Karpaty, where he stayed for approximately four months.

The full-back arrived at Corinthians at the beginning of 2024, during Augusto Melo’s administration. A free agent after the end of his contract with Los Angeles FC of the United States, the defender signed with the São Paulo club with no transfer fee related to economic rights.

His spell at Parque São Jorge, however, was marked by few opportunities and physical problems. In about a year and a half, he took the field only four times and dealt with successive injuries to his left knee.

In August 2025, Corinthians chose to loan him to Karpaty. In Ukrainian football, however, he also had little space, playing only two matches before no longer being included in squads from October of that year onward.

At the beginning of 2026, Palacios returned to Corinthians only to be sent out on loan again. This time, the destination was Universidad Católica. The move also represented financial relief for the black-and-white club, which reduced its wage bill by approximately R$2.6 million.

The Ecuadorian’s loan contract with Universidad Católica runs until the end of the 2026 season. His permanent contract with Corinthians, meanwhile, remains valid until December 2027. The expectation now is that the full-back can maintain a run of appearances as a starter at the Ecuadorian club.

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