Palmeiras await Paulinho’s return after the international break | OneFootball

Palmeiras is awaiting the return of forward Paulinho, who took another step in his recovery and took part in a technical training session with the first team this Monday (30) at the Football Academy.

The player is going through a physical reconditioning process after a long spell on the sidelines. He has not played in more than eight months, since undergoing surgery in July 2025 to repair a stress fracture in the tibia of his right leg.

Palmeiras continue their preparations to face Grêmio this Thursday (2) at 9:30 p.m. at Arena Barueri, in the 9th round of the Brazilian Championship. Despite progressing in his recovery and physical reconditioning, Paulinho remains a doubt for the match.

Expected return

In March, Paulinho said the expectation was for him to return to the pitch after the FIFA international break. He made the statement in an interview with Cazé TV after the 2-1 win over Grêmio Novorizontino, which secured the Paulista Championship title for Verdão.

The No. 10 was Palmeiras’ only absentee in that final and has not played since July 4, when he took part in the Club World Cup.

A long and careful recovery

Since the surgery carried out in July, the club has chosen a more cautious recovery process. The forward has been dealing with pain in the area for more than a year and a half, dating back to his time at Atlético-MG.

The injury was diagnosed back in 2024, and even with the issue, Paulinho still played for around six months before undergoing the first surgical procedure.

At the beginning of last year, he returned to the pitch with good healing progress, but started feeling pain again as his training and match load increased.

As a result, he played only 16 matches before being sidelined again after the Club World Cup for another surgery. This time, the bone was fixed with a stronger implant, better able to withstand the physical strain during recovery.

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