Paulinho trains fully, Palmeiras set for Libertadores; likely XI | OneFootball

Palmeiras wrapped up preparations on Tuesday afternoon for their 2026 Copa Libertadores opener. The squad held its final training session at Jorge Washington School in Cartagena, Colombia, before facing Junior Barranquilla-COL in the first round of the competition’s group stage.

Forward Paulinho took part normally in the entire session alongside the rest of the squad and continues to make progress in his preparation to finally return to the pitch after recovering from surgery on his right leg. The No. 10 is undergoing physical reconditioning with workload management.

Vitor Roque, meanwhile, stuck to his individualized schedule and trained separately on the pitch under the supervision of the Health and Performance Department. The attacking duo remain doubtful for the clash against the Colombians.

How did training go?

The squad took part in a positional tactical training session led by coach Abel Ferreira and then completed complementary physical work and a recreational activity to wrap up the session.

Probable lineup

Coach Abel Ferreira could repeat the lineup of the team that beat Bahia 2-1 last Sunday. He is still without full-backs Piquerez (right ankle surgery) and Jefté (right thigh injury).

Palmeiras’ probable lineup is: Carlos Miguel; Giay, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo and Arthur; Marlon Freitas, Andreas Pereira, Allan and Jhon Arias; Mauricio and Flaco López.

Colombian Arias draws attention in training and returns the affection

One of Palmeiras’ signings for this season, forward Jhon Arias, a standout for the Colombian national team, was the center of attention during Verdão’s training session. Before the activities, the player greeted students from the school who were waiting for him for photos and autographs, and also handed out Palmeiras gifts.

(Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras)

Match details

Junior Barranquilla and Palmeiras face off this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Jaime Morón León Olympic Stadium. The teams are in Group F, alongside Sporting Cristal-PER and Cerro Porteño-PAR.

In their 11th straight appearance in the tournament, Verdão are chasing their fourth title.

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