Palmeiras face Juventude without key midfielders or main strikers | OneFootball

During this FIFA Date, Palmeiras will face Juventude in a rescheduled match from the 12th round of the Brazilian Championship. Although they are favorites, Verdão will have four starters missing, and Abel Ferreira will be without his main players in two areas for the clash against the team from Rio Grande do Sul.

With the Uruguay call-up on Monday morning, Palmeiras confirmed the absences of Emiliano Martínez and Facundo Torres. The midfielder would not have been eligible to face Juventude anyway due to the third yellow card received against São Paulo.

Thus, the two players join another five absences from Palmeiras due to suspensions or call-ups. Verdão will also be without three players due to injury.

See the full list:

Missing Sectors

Due to the absences, Palmeiras faces Juventude without any natural defensive midfielder available. Without Aníbal, Emiliano, and Evangelista, Abel Ferreira will be forced to use his creativity and turn to players from other positions. The Portuguese coach may improvise center-backs Bruno Fuchs or Micael, or give a chance to Coutinho, a youth team midfielder who was part of the Brazil squad eliminated in the group stage of the U-20 World Cup.

In addition to the midfielders, Abel Ferreira has lost his starting attacking duo, responsible for 15 of Palmeiras’ last 24 goals. Without Flaco and Roque, Verdão will have only Luighi available, who, like Coutinho, was in the Brazil U-20 squad at the World Cup.

Since the coach will also be without wingers Torres, Paulinho, and Sosa, it is expected that Bruno Rodrigues, signed in 2024 and with only two games for the club, could get a chance in the match against Juventude.

What will the team look like?

With ten absences, Abel Ferreira is expected to line up the team with: Weverton; Piquerez, Micael, Murilo, and Giay; Bruno Fuchs (Coutinho), Andreas Pereira, Felipe Anderson, Maurício, and Raphael Veiga; Luighi.

Leader of the Brazilian Championship, with 55 points, Palmeiras returns to the field this Saturday, against Juventude, at Allianz Parque, in a rescheduled match from the 12th round of the national tournament. If they win, Verdão will open up a three-point lead and two more victories over second-placed Flamengo.

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