Midfielder Jhon Arias should be one of the main articulators of Palmeiras in this Wednesday’s match, at 9:30 pm, against Cerro Porteño, at Allianz Parque. The clash is valid for the fifth round of the 2026 Conmebol Libertadores group stage. The Colombian player appears on the list of athletes listed by the technical committee for the continental duel. Apesar Furthermore, the official lineup with definitive confirmation of the starting eleven will only be released about an hour before the start of the game on São Paulo.
The point guard’s presence among the likely starters gains strength due to new absences confirmed in the São Paulo team’s creation sector. Coach Abel Ferreira tries to adjust the team to secure a place in the round of 16 in advance. The Brazilian club leads the tournament’s Grupo F with eight points, while the Paraguayan team occupies second place in the table with seven points.
Situação of the point guard and mystery in the Alviverde lineup
Muitos fans question whether Jhon Arias will play today in the decisive match at Allianz Parque. The athlete trained normally with the rest of the squad during the last preparatory activities at Academia and Futebol and is focused with the alviverde delegation. The tactical scheme put together by the coaching staff indicates that he should start the game as the main speed reference on the sides of the field. Contudo, coach Abel Ferreira maintains the habit of making last-minute changes in the locker room before sending the final list to the Conmebol organizers.
The definition of the starting team depends directly on absences caused by recent injuries detected by the club’s medical department. Attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson suffered a muscle injury to his left thigh and was banned from tonight’s match. Outro missing weight in the offensive sector is Sosa, who suffered an injury to his left ankle during the week’s physical activities and is unable to take the field.
Modificações in the structure of the São Paulo team for the game
The return of midfielder Allan, who was suspended on the national scene, helps fill the midfield in the vacancy left by Felipe Anderson. The point guard role must be shared with Mauricio, chosen to occupy the space of the injured Sosa on the side of the field. The technical committee tries to maintain the standard of play that placed the team in the isolated lead of Campeonato Brasileiro with 35 points. The health department of the São Paulo club continues to have a high demand for athletes undergoing treatment:
- Piquerez: undergoes intense physical therapy after undergoing surgery on his right ankle.
- Vitor Roque: follows the postoperative rehabilitation schedule on the left ankle.
- Bruno Fuchs: remains sidelined due to an injury to his right thigh.
- Benedetti: undergoes ongoing treatment to recover from a sprained right ankle.
The probable black and white formation for the start of the game includes Carlos Miguel; Giay, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo and Arthur; Marlon Freitas, Andreas Pereira, Allan and Arias; Mauricio and Flaco López. The squad does not feature athletes with two yellow cards at this stage of the international competition.
Ariel Holan sets up defensive strategy on Cerro Porteño
The Paraguayan club arrived in Brazilian territory under strong pressure from the fans after suffering a 3-1 defeat against Sportivo Trinidense in the local national championship. The fluctuating performance in the Paraguayan league made coach Ariel Holan rethink the tactical strategy to face Palmeiras away from home. The tendency is for the team to change the traditional design and adopt a posture with five defenders tightly packed in the last marking line.
Athletes Cecilio Dominguez and Abel Luciatti recovered from chronic muscle pain and are confirmed in the delegation that came to São Paulo. Full-back Chaparro was able to train after suffering a heavy blow to his left leg and traveled as a doubt in the Argentine coach’s mind. Caso is unable to act, Benítez takes the position on the right side of the defense set up for the clash on São Paulo soil.
Cerro Porteño must start the game with Alexis Martín Arias; Domínguez, Velázquez, Pérez, Quintana and Chaparro or Benítez; Bobadilla, Piris from Motta and Morel; Jonatan Torres and Vegetti. Striker Aliseda remains injured and is the only confirmed absence for medical reasons in the Assunção team.
Detalhes broadcast and match referee team
The duel will be broadcast live on TV Globo on open television for viewers in the states of São Paulo and Paraná. The broadcaster’s digital signal will be available free of charge on the Globoplay streaming platform for the same regions of the country. Espn’s closed channels provide coverage on pay television, with simultaneous transmission on the internet through the Disney+ service. The ge portal provides detailed real-time monitoring with videos of the main bids.
The refereeing for the continental clash will be entirely made up of professionals from the Argentine federation. The scheduled field judge is Yael Falcon Pérez, assisted by line assistants Cristian Navarro and Facundo Rodríguez. The fourth referee designated for the match will be Nazareno Arasa, while the video referee system is under the command of coach Hector Paletta in the technology center installed in the stadium.