Paulinho steps up recovery, joins full Palmeiras training

In partnership with

Nosso Palestra

·07 de abril de 2026

Paulinho steps up recovery, joins full Palmeiras training

Palmeiras trained on Tuesday afternoon (07) at the Jorge Washington School field in Cartagena, Colombia, and wrapped up preparations for their 2026 Libertadores opener against Junior Barranquilla-COL. The Verdão squad carried out positional tactical work, some physical drills, and a light recreational session.

Still regaining fitness and under load management, forward Paulinho took part in the entire training session with the group, while fellow forward Vitor Roque followed his individual schedule and did separate work on the pitch under the supervision of the Health and Performance Department.

Vídeos OneFootball

Palmeiras’ starting lineup should be similar to the one that beat Bahia in the Brazilian Championship. A likely Verdão XI is: Carlos Miguel; GIay, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo and Arthur; Marlon Freitas, Andreas Pereira, Allan and Jhon Arias; Maurício and Flaco López.

Palmeiras and Junior face off at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Wednesday (08) at the Jaime Morón León Olympic Stadium.

Arthur speaks

Left-back Arthur will play in his first Libertadores of his career. Promoted to the senior squad this season, the 20-year-old Academy graduate has made seven appearances for the club, four of them as a starter. He recalled Verdão’s back-to-back continental titles in 2020 and 2021 and spoke about the help he has been getting from his defensive teammates.

“It’s impossible to explain how happy I am to make my Libertadores debut for Palmeiras, a competition I grew up watching. I watched the two straight titles on TV, and now being part of it is really cool.” “We always have to be ready, you never know when the opportunity will come. You have to be prepared to give your best for the team. I end up communicating more with the guys in defense, and Murilo and Gómez help me a lot at this moment, which is a new phase for me. Thank God I’ve been able to do well, with their help, so that in the end Palmeiras can become champions,” he added.

The full-back also spoke about the short preparation time for the match and the direct trip from Salvador, Bahia, where Verdão beat Bahia in the Brasileirão.

“We recovered at the hotel yesterday, and again this morning, and that helps us recover our legs and shake off the fatigue from the trip. So I think tomorrow we’ll be 100% ready to do our best,” Arthur concluded.

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