Abel aide hails Paulinho return, but warns: ‘We won’t rush it’

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·03 de maio de 2026

Abel aide hails Paulinho return, but warns: ‘We won’t rush it’

Palmeiras and Santos drew 1-1 on Saturday night (2) at Allianz Parque in the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match marked the return of forward Paulinho after 305 days away from the pitch. In the post-match press conference, assistant coach Vitro Castanheira highlighted the player’s comeback.

After nine months without playing, Paulinho finally made his 2026 debut for Palmeiras. The forward underwent two surgeries on his right leg last year and was called up again. Wearing the No. 10 shirt, he started on the bench and came on in the 28th minute of the second half.

Vídeos OneFootball

– It’s hugely satisfying to have him back. The ordeal he has been through has not been easy. We are very pleased, both the players and the coaching staff. It’s a process and he is still going through the stages. We are not going to rush things; he will help us according to his conditioning. – He feels good, he is motivated, he wants to help the team. It was a delicate surgery, he is coming back, and today he already got on the pitch. He will be more and more prepared.

Besides Paulinho, who came on well and helped the team, Verdão relied on the strength of its bench to draw the match after falling behind. Allan and Sosa, usual starters, began on the bench and came on in the second half. Castanheira said the players needed rest after a grueling run of matches, and the idea of using Lucas Evangelista as a replacement, adding another marker, was a strategic decision.

– Allan and Sosa just couldn’t start, we have to be careful (with workload management). We don’t have any days off, so we need to be careful with that management. – It was a strategic decision, to try to have more players in central areas and pull Santos players out of the back line.

Despite showing more attacking pressure in the second half, the football was below par and the Palmeiras side piled up missed chances after the break. Castanheira admitted the mistakes and said improvement comes through training. He also thanked the fans for their support until the final minute.

⁠- We need to correct it, there is no other way besides training. There are days when we will be more clinical. We created enough to win the game, but we didn’t score, and when we did, it didn’t count. – We have to praise the crowd, who were important in helping the team keep believing. It’s normal for them to react when things are not going well.

What now?

With the result, Palmeiras remain top of the Brazilian Championship table, now with 33 points. Verdão are seven points ahead of Flamengo and cannot be overtaken this round.

Santos, meanwhile, temporarily move out of the relegation zone. However, the Vila Belmiro side could return to the bottom four if Internacional and Atlético-MG win their matches this round.

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