Paulinho has been dealing with pain in his right leg since 2024 and has had limited minutes in Palmeiras games
Coach Abel Ferreira confirmed this Saturday (28/6), after Palmeiras qualified for the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup, the news that the green and white fans were afraid to hear: striker Paulinho, the team’s hero in the 1-0 victory over Botafogo, will undergo another surgery at the end of the competition.
Abel said again that he can only count on the player for 30 minutes and revealed a conversation he had with the number 10 after the triumph. He told Paulinho that the athlete came to “play for 15 minutes and resolve the issue.”
“That’s why he came here. To play 15 minutes and get things done. We knew we couldn’t count on him for more than 30 minutes. Everyone knows what’s going to happen to him after this World Cup; he’s going to have to undergo surgery again.
But we have other players who can play his role. We knew the conditions when we brought him in. I told him: ‘That’s why you came here.’ I have to congratulate Paulinho for everything he’s gone through, for being the one responsible for getting the ball into our opponent’s net. That’s great,” said the coach in a press conference.
One of Palmeiras’ main signings for this season, Paulinho underwent surgery on his right shin at the end of last year, while still a player at Atlético, and only made his debut for Verdão in April. In total, he has played 15 matches for the São Paulo team so far, only one as a starter, with three goals and two assists.
The striker himself said after the 2-2 draw with Inter Miami last Monday that he was not “100%”. He, who came on in the second half and was substituted in extra time against Botafogo, complained again about the pain after the victory.
“It’s been a difficult time, because I’m not 100%. The coach is doing everything he can to make me part of the group in this difficult time. I’m coming off a serious injury, which bothers me a lot. But in a competition like this, there’s no time to complain. The time you have, you have to make the most of it”, he commented.
