Raphael Veiga celebrates return to training, looks ahead to Palmeiras’ run | OneFootball

After six games sidelined due to pubic pain, Raphael Veiga began his physical transition at the end of last week and is therefore nearing a return to the pitch for Palmeiras. The midfielder, who hasn’t played since August 6th, in the defeat to Corinthians in the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, has returned to training on the field and spoke about his recovery process.

“I’m happy to be back training on the field, I was out for a while due to pubic pain. It’s really bad because we live with pain, we’re used to pain, but at certain times, this pain limits us and makes us stressed. It was important for me to come back without pain, also to regain strength, because this pain ends up getting in the way,” said Veiga, in an interview with Palmeiras TV this Monday (8).

In addition to his physical recovery, Veiga also highlighted the mental aspect of the forced break and emphasized the importance of returning without limitations. The midfielder is having an inconsistent season, marked by injuries and time on the bench: he’s played 33 matches in 2025, with three goals and eight assists. He hasn’t played a full 90 minutes since March 16th, in the Paulistão final against Corinthians.

“Mentally, no player likes to be in pain, to play in pain, to take medication. This return was important for me, I’m really motivated to be 100% in this final stretch and help my team,” he continued.

The number 23 also commented on his teammates who were called up for their national teams during the FIFA break. Flaco López and Gustavo Gómez were called up by Argentina and Paraguay, respectively. “I’m happy that more and more of our players are being called up to their national teams, it shows how big our team is on a global scale. Congratulations to Flaco, who fulfilled a dream, and to Gómez as well, who was fighting to live this moment (going to the World Cup). For those of us who are here, it’s about doing our best, improving what we need to, because we know there’s still a lot to be decided,” he emphasized.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Veiga previewed Palmeiras’ next match, against Internacional, in the Brazilian Championship.

“It’s always a tough game against them, great players. Everyone who comes here has a very clear goal of making things difficult for us. But, for those of us who want to be champions, we have to face every opponent with the mindset of winning the game. We know how important it is to win at home, with the support of our fans, we have everything we need to play a great match.”

Verdão faces Inter on Saturday (13th), at 6:30 pm, at Allianz Parque, for the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. After that, they face River Plate on the 17th, in Buenos Aires, in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals.

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