Palmeiras XI: Paulinho works indoors, doubt for Libertadores

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·3 de mayo de 2026

Palmeiras XI: Paulinho works indoors, doubt for Libertadores

Palmeiras returned to training on the morning of this Sunday (03) at the Academia de Futebol after drawing 1-1 with Santos Futebol Clube on Saturday (02) at Allianz Parque in the Brazilian Championship. With no time for regrets, the squad has already begun preparations for the clash against Sporting Cristal, scheduled for Tuesday (05) at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) at Alejandro Villanueva Stadium in Lima for the Copa Libertadores.

Verdão currently sits second in Group F with five points — from one win and two draws — and sees the match in Peru as crucial to putting qualification on track.

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After the derby, the players who showed greater physical wear underwent recovery work at the recovery and neuroscience center. The rest of the squad went out onto the pitch, where they took part in physical activities followed by technical drills in tight spaces.

Forward Paulinho, who returned to action against Santos after surgery on his right leg, followed a specific schedule with the Health and Performance Department indoors at the training center. The green-and-white delegation will fly to Lima later this Sunday after lunch. On Monday (04), training will take place at 4 p.m. (local time) at the Peruvian national team’s training center.

One of the new faces in the derby was young Luis Pacheco, who came on in the 74th minute in place of Andreas Pereira. The Academia graduate played an active role in the team’s improvement in the second half and appreciated the opportunity he was given.

“I want to thank God and everyone on the coaching staff for the opportunity. Day by day I always try to train well, they (the players) always help me, and I’m very grateful to be able to play and be with them. At halftime, the staff spoke to us, we turned the page and came back focused for the second half to get the equalizer with the support of the fans. We almost got the comeback, but now we have to move on because we can’t dwell too much on what has passed, only on what’s ahead.”

Looking ahead to the next challenge, the player reinforced the need for total focus on the continental competition.

“We’re turning the page — now it’s Libertadores, the league only comes back at the weekend. We have to focus on getting another win that could be very important for qualification.”

Palmeiras’ record in Peru is overwhelmingly favorable. The club has won its last five matches in the country, including games against Alianza Lima, Melgar, Universitario, and Sporting Cristal itself. Peru is actually the foreign country where Verdão has the most wins: 28 victories in 42 matches, as well as 97 goals scored — numbers that boost confidence for this decisive clash.

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