Piquerez steps up recovery and could soon return to Palmeiras

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Nosso Palestra

·19 Mei 2026

Piquerez steps up recovery and could soon return to Palmeiras

Palmeiras held another training session at the Football Academy on Tuesday morning as they prepare for the decisive clash against Cerro Porteño in the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage. The match takes place this Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. at Allianz Parque and could secure Verdão a place in the round of 16 of the continental competition.

Top of Group F with eight points, Palmeiras sit just ahead of Cerro Porteño, who have seven. Sporting Cristal of Peru have six points, while Junior Barranquilla are bottom with just one. A home win would seal qualification for the Alviverde side in advance.

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During the session, coach Abel Ferreira led tactical drills and wrapped up training with a light-hearted match among the players. Recovering from surgery on his right ankle, left-back Joaquín Piquerez did separate ball work alongside youth academy players.

Allan speaks!

The main news is the return of forward Allan, who is available again for the Libertadores after serving a suspension in the Brazilian Championship.

I’m very happy to be back. Every athlete knows how difficult it is to miss matches, so it’s very important to be fit to play again, and I’m happy to be back.

In addition to their strong continental campaign, Palmeiras are going through an extremely positive spell this season. The club is unbeaten in 17 matches — 11 in the Brasileirão, four in the Libertadores, and two in the Copa do Brasil — the longest current streak among Série A clubs. In their last 27 matches, the team has suffered just one defeat, recording 19 wins and seven draws since February.

We’re on an important unbeaten run, and we know the group we have, how united we are, and how hard we work every day to give our best for Palmeiras. I hope we can keep working well and finish the season strongly.

Wednesday’s clash also carries historical weight. Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño are involved in the most-played international matchup in Libertadores history, with 17 meetings. The record favors Verdão: 10 Palmeiras wins, five draws, and only two defeats. The clubs have already faced each other in different group-stage editions and also in knockout ties, such as the round of 16 in 2018 and 2022, both of which ended with Alviverde qualification.

In the competition’s overall ranking, the fixture trails only historic South American rivalries such as Peñarol vs Nacional, Boca Juniors vs River Plate, and Independiente vs River Plate.

Excited about the team’s reunion with the fans at Allianz Parque, Allan highlighted the importance of the support from the stands.

We really miss playing in our stadium. We know the atmosphere our fans create, always singing and supporting us. So we’re going there to play well and secure another win.

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