All eyes are on the Palmeiras vs. Vitória clash! The big question on everyone's lips: will star player Vitor Roque make an appearance? The match, an early fixture from the 37th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro, kicks off at 19:30 (Brasilia time) at Allianz Parque in São Paulo.
Roque, along with other international players, arrived in São Paulo on Wednesday morning and underwent evaluation. He's on the team list, but starts on the bench, alongside Gómez, Piquerez, and others who were on international duty.
Team Lineups and Key Players
Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira has confirmed his lineup:
Palmeiras: Carlos Miguel; Murilo, Fuchs, Micael; Allan, Andreas Pereira, Mauricio, Veiga, Jefté; Bruno Rodrigues, Flaco López.
Missing from Palmeiras: Lucas Evangelista (thigh injury), Paulinho (leg surgery), and Weverton (physical transition).
Vitória's lineup, under coach Jair Ventura, is as follows:
Vitória: Thiago Couto; Raúl Cáceres, Lucas Halter, Camutanga, Edu, Ramon; Baralhas, Willian Oliveira, Erick; Aitor Cantalapiedra, Renzo López.
Vitória's Absentees: Alexandre Fintelman, Lucas Arcanjo, Jamerson, and Rúben Ismael (injured).
Roque's Recent Performance
The 20-year-old Roque recently played about 50 minutes for Brazil in a friendly against Senegal in France, replacing Matheus Cunha at halftime. His fitness and form will be crucial factors in Ferreira's decision-making.
Other players returning from international duty, such as Gustavo Gómez, Sosa, Emiliano Martínez, Piquerez, and Facundo Torres, are also on the bench. Flaco López, who played against Santos, starts as usual. Andreas Pereira and Allan return from suspension and are in the starting eleven.
Will Roque get his chance to shine? Tune in to find out!