Palmeiras will meet LDU at 19h on Wednesday at Nubank Parque in the first leg of the Conmebol Libertadores quarterfinals, and Abel is still deciding whether to keep the current shape or bring back three center backs. The match will be shown on Paramount+ and followed in real time by ge.
That decision matters because Palmeiras goes into the tie with four absences, including Andreas Pereira, who is suspended, and Paulinho, who is out with a thigh injury. Jefté is also unavailable while recovering from knee surgery, while Sosa is sidelined by a thigh injury. Lucas Evangelista should stay in the team with Andreas Pereira out, and Vitor Roque may return to the starting lineup, although his place is still not certain.
The search around Palmeiras Vs LDU Quito is being driven by the timing. This is the first leg of a quarterfinal, and Palmeiras wants an edge before the return match in Quito on the 16th. On Sunday, Palmeiras drew Botafogo and lost the lead of the Brasileiro to Flamengo, so Wednesday is not just another night at home; it is a chance to reset the mood and protect a tie that will get harder away from home.
LDU comes in with its own edge. It advanced on penalties after two draws against Mirassol, sits fifth in the Liga do Equador, and beat Técnico Universitário 3-1 in its most recent match after going two matches without a win. Yerlin Quiñónez is available again after serving a suspension in the return match against Mirassol, and Deyverson is the name Palmeiras cannot ignore: he has seven goals this season and played only four minutes in each of LDU's last two matches, both times as a substitute.
That gives Abel a real choice, not a cosmetic one. Palmeiras has been using a different scheme in recent matches, but the possibility of three center backs remains on the table, and the coach also has to decide whether Vitor Roque starts or waits for a role off the bench. Palmeiras has already secured at least a place in the semifinal of the Copa do Brasil, but Wednesday is about this tie alone, and the team that handles the first leg better will arrive in Quito with the control it wants.
