Paulinho marks one year since Palmeiras debut, nears return | OneFootball

Forward Paulinho is getting closer and closer to wearing the Palmeiras shirt again. This Sunday (12), the player marks one year since his debut for the club, which came in a derby against Corinthians — this week’s opponent in the Brasileirão. On that occasion, the No. 10 came off the bench and took part in the 2-0 win at Arena Barueri in the Brazilian Championship.

Since then, the forward’s journey has been marked by physical setbacks. Paulinho has not played since July 4, 2025, when he featured against Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the FIFA Club World Cup. After the match, the player had to step away to treat a shin injury — a problem that originated back in 2024, when he was playing for Atlético-MG. Even with a stress fracture, the athlete managed to play through the pain before undergoing surgery at the end of that year.

Paulinho scoring his most important goal in a Palmeiras shirt. Photo: Susana Vera/ Reuters

His recovery, however, required another surgical procedure in 2025, further extending his time away from the pitch. Now, the situation is different: pain-free and at an advanced stage of physical reconditioning, Paulinho is hoping to return later this April.

The forward has already resumed the squad’s routine, even traveling with the team and taking part in the warm-up before the match against Junior Barranquilla in the Libertadores. Even so, he has not yet been officially included in the matchday squad.

Internally, Paulinho is seen as one of Palmeiras’ biggest bets not only for the 2026 season, but also for the years ahead. Fully recovered, the player is viewed as an important piece in coach Abel Ferreira’s system, and the manager is eagerly awaiting the chance to have him available at full fitness.

So far, Paulinho has made fewer than 20 appearances in the green-and-white shirt, but he has already made his mark three times: scoring against Sporting Cristal in the Libertadores, and also against Inter Miami and Botafogo in the Club World Cup.

The expectation now is that the No. 10 will finally be able to put together a consistent run and show on the pitch all the potential that led Palmeiras to invest heavily in his signing.

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