When's he back? Palmeiras cautious as Paulinho improves on FIFA duty | OneFootball

Paulinho is expected to return to strengthen Palmeiras in the first half of 2026. The player is nearing the end of his recovery and still has a few steps to complete before finally being cleared by the Medical Department to be at the disposal of coach Abel Ferreira.

Shortly after winning the Campeonato Paulista title, during the on-field celebration, Verdão's number 10 revealed that he would be fit to play after the FIFA date, which ends on March 31. He began the physical reconditioning process on the 11th and is progressing in his recovery.

João Martins, Abel Ferreira's assistant coach, gave a press conference after the victory over São Paulo, spoke about the player, but avoided setting a deadline for his return. The club is cautiously managing Paulinho's comeback, who is expected to start working with the squad fully in the coming weeks.

“Everything is going very well. We have controlled it well, he is progressing, he is already playing small games, playing half-field games, already doing 40, 50% of a game's load. But we are not setting timings, we are not creating anxiety. We know what we are doing, it is going very well. And now it's another 10 days, another 10 days of progress. And God willing, in about 15 days, three weeks, he will start working with the group to then be included like everyone else,” said the assistant.

Recall Paulinho's Situation

When he was still with Atlético-MG, Paulinho had to undergo surgery to correct a stress fracture in the tibia of his right leg in 2024, and he joined Palmeiras while recovering from the procedure. As the club's second most expensive signing, the player missed the entire Campeonato Paulista, the start of the Brasileirão, and the first phase of the Libertadores.

Paulinho only debuted for Verdão in April 2025. The expectation was that Paulinho would be 100% ready for the World Cup, which took place between June and July last year in the United States. However, the athlete had to follow an individual schedule for load management and had limited time on the field.

After the tournament, Palmeiras' Medical Department decided to perform another procedure to ensure the athlete would not be at risk or suffer further strain. Thus, Paulinho underwent the new surgery at the end of July and has since been absent for Verdão.

Paulinho's Numbers

In total, he played 16 matches for the São Paulo team, only one as a starter, scored three goals, and provided two assists.

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