Bruno Rodrigues ends drought, aims to give Abel a selection headache | OneFootball

After almost two years without scoring, Bruno Rodrigues found the net again in Palmeiras’ 4-1 thrashing of Juventude in a rescheduled Brasileirão match. The forward overcame two serious knee injuries that kept him off the pitch for 598 days and now hopes to give Abel a pleasant headache, even with the strong competition from Flaco López and Vitor Roque.

“A goal is very important for every athlete, it brings more calmness to the game, more confidence. So, I’ll leave it to Abel to have that headache,” said Bruno Rodrigues after the match.

Bruno Rodrigues ends nearly two-year drought

The forward had last scored on November 22, 2023, when he was still playing for Cruzeiro. On that occasion, he scored in a 2-2 draw against Vasco, from the penalty spot. His last goal from open play was in the previous match, on the 18th of the same month, in Raposa’s win over Fortaleza.

Almost 600 days out

A standout for the Minas Gerais team, Bruno Rodrigues was signed by Palmeiras for the 2024 season. That year, he played only two matches in the Campeonato Paulista: against Novorizontino and Inter de Limeira. In the latter, he suffered a right knee injury and underwent an arthroscopy that sidelined him for about four months.

When he was close to returning, he suffered a more serious injury in a training match in May: he tore the patellar tendon in his left knee. He underwent surgery that same month and only returned to action in September this year, after 598 days. He got minutes against Internacional and Vasco, coming off the bench, before starting against Juventude. Now, he has three matches and one goal in 2025.

Injuries caught Bruno Rodrigues by surprise

After the match, Bruno Rodrigues recalled the difficult period and shared how he dealt with the serious injuries, the first in the 28-year-old athlete’s career.

“I had never been injured in my life, never had any injury. So, my first injury was very sad for me. I had never hurt my knee, nothing. Nothing at all, because I’m an athlete who takes great care of myself. But unfortunately, it’s part of football, we’re here for that, you can’t control it. The second injury was very tough. A week before, there was a training match and for sure he was going to use me, but in the training match, I go and get injured, so that’s it: I had to draw strength from my family, from my wife. So, without them, I don’t think I would have made it,” he revealed.

“He is everything I believe in football and in life,” says Abel about Bruno Rodrigues

Abel Ferreira placed his trust in Bruno Rodrigues by naming him in the starting lineup. After the match, the coach highlighted the forward’s resilience and celebrated his return: “all the credit goes to him.”

“He is everything I believe in football and in life. When they curse us, treat us badly, things don’t go our way, when they say we’re at the end of the cycle, that we’re no good. When you injure your knee twice. When you’re close to the Club World Cup and hear that you can’t go because you need another procedure. That’s everything I believe in: work, persistence, resilience. That’s the greatest talent anyone can have. Resilience to keep your feet on the ground and stay true to your values,” he declared.

“Everything he went through is everything I believe in. I didn’t get here because I’m the son of rich parents. I worked my way up in my career as a player and coach, I got here through a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I heard things I didn’t like, but I never doubted what I’m capable of. Neither did he. I said here that he would only play in January 2026. I was telling him that so he wouldn’t get anxious and have expectations. Here, people create a lot of expectations. Everything was done very well, but above all, the credit is all his,” the coach continued.

Next Palmeiras match

Palmeiras vs Red Bull Bragantino (28th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: October 15, 2025 (Wednesday), at 7:00 p.m. (Brasília time) Venue: Allianz Parque, São Paulo (SP)

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