One year on, Flaco and Roque could start together again for Palmeiras | OneFootball

About a year ago, Palmeiras began to establish an attacking duo that had generated great expectations among the fans. On August 14, 2025, against Universitario in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16, Flaco López and Vitor Roque began a run as starters that made both forwards stand out in Abel Ferreira’s team.

The duo’s performance in 2025 was positive. Flaco and Roque managed to share responsibilities, contribute to attacking build-up play, and take on leading roles at a decisive point in the season. The partnership, which was beginning to develop chemistry, seemed to have everything it needed to continue in 2026.

A difficult 2026 for the duo

But the new year brought obstacles. Injuries and Flaco López’s call-up for the World Cup kept the two from putting together another run alongside each other. Vitor Roque also had to deal with an ankle injury in 2026 and underwent surgery, keeping him off the pitch for an important part of the season.

Flaco, meanwhile, temporarily left Palmeiras to represent Argentina at the World Cup. The forward only returned to the green-and-white squad later, forcing Abel Ferreira to manage different options in attack.

Reunion still without continuity

The two were reunited as starters in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil Round of 16 against Fortaleza.

Roque started the match but was unable to deliver a standout performance. Flaco, however, was more influential and scored one of Palmeiras’ goals. The match was important because it saw the duo start together again, but it still did not mark the beginning of a new run.

Last Sunday (9), against Internacional in the Brazilian Championship, both once again started on the bench. Abel Ferreira brought the pair on in the second half, putting Flaco and Roque on the field together.

The performance, however, was not among the best. Both struggled to make an effective impact on the game, especially Vitor Roque, who is still trying to fully regain his rhythm and confidence after a long recovery period.

Cerro Porteño could mark a new chapter

It is in this context that Palmeiras head into this Wednesday’s (12) clash against Cerro Porteño-PAR in the Libertadores Round of 16. The match will be played at 7 p.m. (Brasília time) at Nubank Parque.

The expectation now is that the two can once again earn more opportunities and, above all, regain the leading role they had in 2025. Flaco and Roque already showed that last year.

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