Jhon Arias handed minutes as Palmeiras eye Paulista final | OneFootball

Jhon Arias is quickly becoming a useful option for Palmeiras. According to Globo.com, the club's most recent signing has impressed Abel Ferreira and could be used in the second half of Sunday's Campeonato Paulista semi-final against São Paulo at 20:30 Brasília time.

Two weeks into his spell, the Colombian has already added what Ferreira regards as unpredictability. The head coach considers him the standout arrival of this window and noted the need after the club decided to sell their third top goalscorer, Facundo Torres.

Although Arias prefers to operate from the right and has signalled that to Ferreira, Allan is currently thriving in that role. His versatility counts in his favour, with the No 11 able to play left, right or centrally and contribute from the start or off the bench.

In his debut against Capivariano, Arias played 12 minutes and won a penalty. Against Fluminense, his former club, he featured for 31 minutes, completing 11 passes with three misplaced, registering two shots, committing one foul, winning one, making one tackle and two dribbles.

Ferreira also referenced his usage under Diniz at Fluminense, operating inside and drifting from right to left, a pattern that can trouble defences.

Signed for 25 million euros, about R$ 155 million at the time, Arias has quickly become a virtual 12th man in this Paulista run-in. If Palmeiras win the Choque-Rei, they will face the winner of Novorizontino v Corinthians in the other semi-final.

Source: Globo.com