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Leeds United took pole position in the Championship title race with just nine matches to go following a victory in the west Yorkshire derby on Saturday afternoon, and the display has left fans discussing one player in particular.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side beat local rivals Huddersfield Town 2-0 to go top of the standings, ahead of West Brom, who failed to beat Swansea City on the very same day.

Luke Ayling scorched in a stupendous volley just minutes into the game before Patrick Bamford scored his first goal in eight matches to seal all three points at Elland Road.

Leeds have now picked up five straight victories and look every bit like they will return to the top-flight come the summer.

Some members of the Whites faithful were torn by the performance from Pablo Hernandez, here’s what they have been saying…

Some fans were impressed by what they saw, labelling the Spanish veteran a “wizard” as well as “dangerous” while one supporter described his performance as “utterly incredible”.

Another compared him to fine wine and a further member of the Elland Road crowd claimed that Leeds were so much better with him in the team.

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Per SofaScore, the 34-year-old recorded three successful dribbles, two key passes and three tackles, but Hernandez was also dribbled past three times, lost possession 27 times and won just half of his duels as he featured for the duration of the match.

While a few believed he was particularly poor against the Terriers, labelling his passing as “shocking” and that he wasn’t at his best on Saturday afternoon.

There was even a shout to give him a rest ahead of the final run-in.

Fans will have to get used to seeing Hernandez, provided he stays fit, as he is under contract until the summer of 2022 – and if they do indeed gain promotion, that’ll trigger a further year to his current deal.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

And in other news, fans should forget Luke Ayling because this man is Marcelo Bielsa’s unsung HERO…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Phil Parkinson has made the bold decision to transfer list Aiden McGeady and former player Stephen Elliott feels he has been a little drastic in his handling of the situation.

What did he say?

The shock news that McGeady’s Sunderland career will be cut short likely took many by surprise, as although he has been far from his best recently, he still possesses greater quality than perhaps any of his teammates.

Despite the lack of form he is still the top scorer at the Black Cats and was named Player of the Year for his impressive displays last season, which is probably why Elliott believes Parkinson’s actions are a mistake.

However, the full details are unclear apart from reports that the Irishman is a negative influence on the squad, and though problematic, it seems like an issue that could be ironed out by some frank discussion taking place between player and manager.

In a tweet sharing his thoughts, Elliott said:

It seems Parkinson can do little right at the moment, but one thing is for certain. If this move backfires, he has created a hole for himself and the mounting pressure could cause dressing room unrest.

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Risky decision

While it is positive that Parkinson is showing zero tolerance with a squad which has so far performed well below a level they’re capable of, getting rid of McGeady could have multiple negatives.

The Irishman has played at the highest level and knows what it takes to win, an attribute that the squad seems to be severely lacking in, and his contribution on the pitch will be difficult to replace too.

Sunderland’s lack of creativity has been badly evidenced by a shocking goal return under Parkinson, and therefore he should be doing all he can to add to his team’s attacking strength, not taking away from it.

McGeady has six goals and two assists this term but when at the top of his game, such as Gillingham in the FA Cup, he can be unplayable, and that means he will be sorely missed.

A player of his history and reputation likely garners a lot of respect in the dressing room, so there is always a risk that his exit could alienate a few and cause their effort levels to drop even further – something the Black Cats simply can’t afford.

Time will tell but so far nothing is working out for Parkinson and though change is needed, this may be the wrong route to take.

With McGeady ostracised, Parkinson will need other players in his squad to step up and perform, starting with the trip to Blackpool.

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Dean Smith will have a lot of remodelling to do if Mile Jedinak leaves Aston Villa, with Australian A-League expansion hopefuls Macarthur-South West Sydney entering discussions with the Birmingham-based player, per reports by Fairfax Media.

What’s the word?

According to information seen by Fairfax Media, Macarthur-South West Sydney have submitted paperwork to the Football Federation Australia declaring they are in negotiations with Aston Villa’s Jedinak.

Clubs hoping to be one of the two granted an expansion slot for the Australian A-League have until December 12 to submit their plans before the FFA meet.

It is suggested that the Campbelltown-based bid is among the frontrunners to be granted a licence, and aim to appoint the 6ft 2in midfielder as their captain.

Fairfax Media claims that discussions are already underway between the Australian club and player, who is said to be interested in returning to his country ahead of a career in coaching.

Jedinak’s contract at Villa is up in June and Lang Walker, the property development company funding Macarthur-South West Sydney, are said to be willing to pull out all the stops to sign the 34-year-old in the summer.

Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Jedinak’s exit creates multiple openings

Despite Jedinak’s age, he has been an inspirational figure at Villa since switching from Crystal Palace in 2016 for a reported £5million.

Under Steve Bruce particularly, the Australian was pivotal for he did not solely stick to his defensive midfield position – filling in as a central defender eight times this season, compared to just once as a midfielder.

Dean Smith may have spoken on how Jedinak’s presence in training has helped keep the squad motivated and focused, but he is yet to call on his services since taking charge.

It is also unlikely the club will table a new contract for someone past their prime, but losing Jedinak would leave Villa chasing fresh blood in both defensive and midfield positions.

Luckily, they do appear to have the remainder of this season to work with the 79-cap former international as Smith works on getting the club back into the Premier League.

Newcastle United are still searching for their first win of the new Premier League season.

The Magpies were beaten at home by Tottenham on the first day of the campaign and couldn’t defeat Cardiff City after Isaac Hayden was given his marching orders. Things did not get any easier for Rafael Benitez as he welcomed Chelsea to St. James Park on Sunday. The Spaniard set up his side in a controversially defensive manner as they lost 1-2 at home to the Blues, sitting deep for most of the game.

Newcastle are paying the price for a summer of little investment from owner Mike Ashley. The fans want the 53-year-old out of the club as soon as possible, but he is yet to find a buyer for the club. Fans will also be worried that Benitez could leave the club with reports suggesting that Chinese Super League side, Tianjun Quanjian, are monitoring his situation on Tyneside.

To get their season back on track, Newcastle should make a controversial move to re-sign former playmaker – Hatem Ben Arfa. Valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman spent five years at the club after joining from Marseille back in 2011. He made over 85 appearances before eventually leaving the club for Nice. The 31-year-old is available on a free transfer after leaving Paris St Germain.

Ben Arfa was a frustrating character during his spell at St. James Park, his excellent dribbling ability and skills were often overshadowed by lazy performances. However, the maestro has seemingly rediscovered his best form after scoring 17 goals and notching six assists back in 2016 which earned him a move to PSG. Benitez could be the perfect manager to get Ben Arfa firing in the Premier League again.

The France international would provide some much-needed cover to the flanks and give Newcastle a quality option in the hole behind Solomon Rondon. It may be an unpopular move, but it could prove to be a masterstroke from the ex-Real Madrid boss.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

Reported Tottenham Hotspur target Demarai Gray signed a new four-year deal with Leicester City on Thursday, which looks to have ended any hopes Spurs had of bringing the winger to north London in the near future.

The Mirror reported just prior to transfer deadline day in August that Mauricio Pochettino was keen on a deal for the 21-year-old, but it failed to materialise despite the fact that the England Under-21 international had grown frustrated with his lack of Premier League starts.

However, he started Claude Puel’s first match in charge against Everton on Sunday and has chosen to commit his future to the Midlands outfit, with Tottenham seemingly having to look elsewhere if they want to strengthen in wide areas.

With Erik Lamela still yet to make his return following a lengthy spell on the sidelines and with Georges-Kevin Nkoudou struggling to make an impression, Pochettino still looks to be a little short of quality on the flanks.

While they look to have lost out on the Foxes winger, there are plenty of other options that could take their fancy either in the New Year or next summer.

Here are three Gray alternatives Spurs should target….

Quincy Promes

With 11 goals and a further six assists in 19 appearances in all competitions for Spartak Moscow – and 54 in 109 outings in total, the Dutch winger has certainly shown that he can make a big impact from out wide.

The fact that he can play on either flank makes him an especially attractive option, while he also has experience in European football including two goals in three Champions League appearances this term.

The 25-year-old is in his fourth season with the Russian outfit, but it appears to be only a matter of time before he moves on to bigger and better things, and Tottenham should certainly be keeping a close eye on his performances.

Riyad Mahrez

Ironically, Gray’s new deal at Leicester could suggest that Mahrez is edging closer to the exit door at the King Power Stadium – especially as he played on the Algerian’s preferred right flank against Everton on Sunday – even though new manager Claude Puel will be keen for him to stay.

The Daily Mail reported just days after the summer transfer window closed that the 26-year-old is determined to secure a move away from the Foxes in the New Year, and Tottenham are likely to be keeping tabs on his situation following the huge impact he had when Leicester pipped Spurs to the Premier League title in 2016.

There is little doubt that he would provide the likes of Son Heung-Min and Lamela with some much-needed competition depending on the formation Pochettino is using.

Richarlison

Not too much was known of the 20-year-old when Watford signed him from Brazilian club Fluminense for around £11m during the summer transfer window, but the bigger clubs in the Premier League will already be taking a look at the impressive winger.

The Brazil U20 international has three goals and a further three assists in his 10 top flight appearances in his debut season in England, and he has quickly become one of the Hornets’ most important players because of his trickery and ability to win fouls.

While he was a little wasteful with his finishing in the 4-2 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month, he certainly looks to have the potential to make an impact at a club like Tottenham already.

Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.

According to reports from Mirror Football, Mauricio Pochettino is an admirer of Bournemouth defender Adam Smith – who rose through Tottenham Hotspur’s academy ranks before moving to the Vitality Stadium in 2014 following a series of loan spells in the Football League.

Although Mirror Football didn’t state it outright, the obvious assumption is that Smith is being eyed as a potential replacement for Kyle Walker, whose future in north London has become uncertain in recent weeks after he was left out of the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea and the north London derby.

Like Walker, Smith is a forward-thinking, attacking right-back who has grabbed five assists in the Premier League so far this season. That makes him a pretty good fit for the way Pochettino likes his side to play, either at No.2 or slightly higher up in the Argentine’s occasional 3-4-3 set-up.

Yet, whilst Walker claimed a place in this season’s Team of the Year, Smith’s attacking flair has been offset by some very ropy defending at times. Already aged 26, he may well struggle to up his game to Tottenham’s levels.

Consequentially, reactions to Mirror Football’s claims are pretty divided. Whilst some see him as the perfect Daniel Levy target and a decent potential addition, others really aren’t convinced Smith would be a good signing….

The Mirror are reporting that Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is yet to agree a new contract extension with Arsenal.

The German currently has until 2018 on his current £140,000-a-week deal with the Gunners, but reportedly wants a pay rise with a potential £200,000-a-week offer being touted.

The Mirror think that his club are confident that he will sign, though, with the player believed to be happy with life at Arsenal and in London and so a deal should go through at some point.

Should he stay?

Ozil’s been in good form this season with Arsenal beginning to hit their stride in the league and so it would be a good idea for the Gunners to get him signed on but, equally for Ozil, it’s in his best interest that he signs the extension too.

The German is a top player, make no mistake, but, arguably, he wouldn’t be the star he is without being at Arsenal.

The club are perfectly set up to make the use of his talents with like minded players surrounding him and a manager in Arsene Wenger who clearly knows how to utilise him best.

Would he get that at other clubs? Sure, he’d get into most sides in world football, but for a player who took a while to settle at the Gunners, he’d likely take that time to bed in with a different side. At the age of 27, and at the price he’d cost, he couldn’t afford to do that.

Equally, where’s he going to go to get as big a chance at winning silverware as he does at Arsenal? Of the clubs that could afford him – your Manchester City’s, United’s, Barcelona’s and Real Madrid’s – none of them are realistically going to go for him, so surely his best chance of more trophies is to stay with the Gunners.

Arsenal look good this season, too. They seem to have an air of maturity and hunger about them so they really could win the league and build from it, and the German should make sure he’s a part of it.

The French champions may have lost two of their iconic players over the summer, but that might have increased their chances of success in Europe

This is it, the start of the competition that unites the footballing world in ridicule towards Paris Saint-Germain. Jamie Carragher laughed on live TV when they were knocked out of last season's competition. dubbed Bayern Munich simply "too good" for PSG. , PSG’s most controversially ardent press outlet, said "defeat is a culture"at the club.

So begins another chance to pre-write those headlines, practice the chuckles, and prepare the thought pieces. This season, though, there is something vaguely interesting brewing in Paris. PSG are not entirely run by superstars or massive media interests anymore – there's a shred of independence here, now. Their manager is notorious for being, well, a bit mean. They made 10 signings this summer, three were free agents, and all but one were under 27. This is a massive departure from the status quo.

As with any year – with this iteration of immensely talented players – PSG should do enough to win Ligue 1. They tried everything to lose it last season, but the form of Kylian Mbappe, now friends with the hierarchy again, rescued them.

But the Champions League is the real test. It is perhaps the curse of playing in a comparably less competitive league that success shall be judged from elsewhere. PSG have no real challengers at home; eyes must turn abroad instead. And so they will again, with a retooled squad hoping to go where — or, more accurately, further than — any PSG side has been before.

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  How to measure success

  It’s hard to track what, exactly, PSG want out of this all. Certainly, like any other team, they will want to win the whole competition. Even first-time entrants Union Berlin wouldn’t mind lifting the trophy. But this is an increasingly predictable competition where realistic expectations have to come into play. Real Madrid have played in five of the last 10 finals. Only once in the last decade years has a team from outside of Europe’s top five leagues reached the semi-finals. PSG, as big as they are, have been outsiders for some time now.

  Indeed, AC Milan and Inter’s runs to last year’s semi-final were wholesome outliers, fun stories rather than expected success. This is a very difficult competition to become a contender for. Even pedigree teams that aren’t supposed to make big runs, do so anyway. Real Madrid looked, on paper, to be the weaker side in almost every clash of their successful 2022 campaign. But, whether by mythology, luck, or the right foot of Karim Benzema, they ended up winning the whole thing.

  This is all to say that expectations, sans Lionel Messi and Neymar, have somehow been lowered. PSG appear to be markedly better than in year’s past, a more balanced, interesting, and organised unit. But continental football so often falls back on its star players. And PSG now have one instead of three – eliminating the power struggle that had damaged their hopes for years.

  That has certainly helped so far from a footballing perspective. But it might be handy in terms of pressure, too. The Champions League tends to be the first time every year that fans, media, and Twitter fanboys interact with PSG outside of France. The Parisians, in recent years, were evaluated by the notoriety of their names, rather than the relative performance in a 3-0 away win to Nantes.

  So, when it comes to continental showings, Europe expects. Messi and Neymar were serial winners, and, for players of their quality, anything less than a trophy is considered a failure. Very few, it is fair to assume, will criticise Randal Kolo Muani, for example, if he is unable to lead PSG to Champions League glory. For the first time in years, there’s some room for failure in Paris.

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  Luis Enrique's knockout football struggles

  Not that their manager will accept a meagre exit. Luis Enrique's knockout football resume is mixed. The manager has overseen Spain in the World Cup and European Championships and managed Barcelona three times in the Champions League. He led the Blaugrana to European glory in rampant fashion eight years ago, piecing together the perfect system that allowed Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to tear through Europe. They battered Bayern Munich 5-3 on aggregate. They laid waste to PSG, 5-1. Their final victory was a remarkably comfortable 3-1 win over Juventus.

  Since then, though, his tournament credentials are up for debate. Barca failed to make it past the last eight in his following two seasons at the helm. His time as Spain manager is even more mixed, as Luis Enrique never really convinced while coaching his national side. He was working in a difficult era, with La Roja's 'golden generation' that won three major trophies on the trot all retiring and aging, and an impressive talent pool, led by Gavi and Pedri, yet to mature.

  The now-PSG boss can argue, with some merit, that he didn't have a top-class striker for clinical moments (Alvaro Morata, it turns out, isn't really that good). But the reality is far more complex. Luis Enrique is an ardent believer in a sort of remodeled, revamped, less-impressive tiki-taka. PSG press when they don't have the ball, but only because they need to have it.

  For most managers these days, football is about controlling space, winning the ball in the right area, and hitting on the break. Luis Enrique, though, likes to keep the ball. His philosophy of football isn't as direct. And that, arguably is what cost Spain – who never made a major final despite the wealth of talent in the squad. They were too delicate in their passing, too perfectionist in their hunt for the right angle, the killer ball. Tactical adaptability is vital once the knockout stages hit. PSG don't really have it. That could be costly.

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  'The Group of Death'

  That is, assuming they make it to the latter stages. PSG have been unfortunate enough to be drawn into the closest thing to a dreaded 'Group of Death' this season. As a slate, it certainly looks tricky. PSG are surely favourites to advance, but they will face stern competition from Borussia Dortmund, Milan and Newcastle.

  Of course, not every game will be a hotly-contested clash. Dortmund, minus Jude Bellingham, are far from the Bundesliga title contenders of last year. Newcastle, despite all of the hype around their first full Saudi-funded season, have endured a horrible start to the Premier League. That leaves only Milan, fresh off a 5-1 thrashing to Inter, as the Parisians' most realistic challengers.

  But so often, for teams that only flirt with the elite, quality can only be enough for so long. The Champions League is when teams tend to play their best, and home advantage can be everything. Newcastle will be made buoyant by the hum and buzz of St James's Park. Milan will surely want to repeat – or better – their semi-final run of last year. And no one ever really wants to play in front of the dreaded Yellow Wall at the Westfalenstadion.

  Their group, then, should be considered the ultimate test of their credentials, a measuring stick of legitimacy. If PSG win their home games, and grab at least a point away from home, they will likely be in the knockouts, with room to spare. Beat Dortmund on Tuesday, get a result at St James' Park and there will be enough to suggest that they could make some noise.

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  How do they do it?

  There is no real singular formula for Champions League success. But there are some constants to be found over the past five winning teams. All tend to be incredibly well-balanced teams. All are, first and foremost, reliable defensively with a top-tier shot-stopper between the posts. And, perhaps most tellingly, except one – with apologies to 2020 Champions League final goalscorer Kai Havertz – have had at least one elite forward in their ranks to grab the timely goals.

  PSG, then, have some of the makings of that. Their defence, with Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi on either side, and Milan Skriniar and Marquinhos in the middle, is an interesting mix of youth and experience. Inter fans will argue that Skriniar, in his six years at the club, was the most underrated centre-back on the planet.

  In the midfield, things can change a bit, but it seems so far that Manuel Ugarte and Warren Zaire-Emery are guaranteed starters, while Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz or Lee Kang-in can round out the trio. This is probably where the weakest area; if PSG are to be exploited anywhere, it is in their lack of midfielder depth.

  Up front, though, is where the Parisians can be dangerous. Ousmane Dembele is a top right-winger who could finally realise his potential after a much-needed move out of Barcelona. Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos and Marco Asensio are all good options through the middle.

  And in that third slot is probably the player who needs to win the Champions League the most. Mbappe seemed set to leave this summer, but pledged that he would spend at least one more season in Paris — with the goal of European success central to his decision. He could be the true difference maker, a player equal parts prolific and clutch. Hat-tricks in World Cup finals aren't an easy thing; Mbappe made it look routine. If there ever was a modern forward for a big game, Mbappe is that player.

  So, the components are nearly there, while the manager has a point to prove. Realistically, this is not a Champions League winning team. Manchester City, as in every year, will be the favourites. A few others – Bayern Munich, Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona – will all probably be favoured over the Parisians. But, for once, there's a clear model for why, and how, it could happen. Maybe that hope is enough.

The Norwegian midfielder may not be a stereotypical captain but he has stepped up to the mark time and time again this season

Martin Odegaard looked like a man possessed against Chelsea on Tuesday night. Arsenal’s captain was singled out for a lot of criticism after the defeat at Manchester City a few days earlier and he certainly gave the impression of a man with a point to prove as he drove Mikel Arteta’s side to a much needed 3-1 win.

The Norway international was at his very best, scoring twice to set the ball rolling in the first half and producing the type of tireless display that has been the hallmark of his impressive season in north London. Odegaard now has 14 goals in the Premier League, as well as eight assists. Those are fantastic numbers for a 24-year-old who started the campaign with many wondering whether he had it in him to be so decisive in the final third.

So, it’s somewhat surprising that the playmaker still seems to have people questioning him, both as a player and as a captain.

Getty ImagesNeville's criticism

Gary Neville did just that after the mauling at the Etihad, pointing a finger at the Gunners skipper when discussing what he felt went wrong for Arteta’s side. The pundit said: “I look at Martin Odegaard, fantastic professional. Oleksandr Zinchenko, great professional. But when you actually get to the highest pressurised moments in the biggest matches in the crux of the season, are they leaders then?

"Arsenal’s senior players, Partey, Zinchenko, Odegaard, in the most difficult period, they didn’t impact the rest of their team-mates on the pitch. Odegaard had probably his most difficult game against Manchester City."

Neville’s right, Odegaard did have a difficult game against City. But when you think about what went wrong at the Etihad, it’s surprising that he was one of the players picked out as an issue. Arsenal couldn't get close to their hosts on the night, but that was not down to how their skipper performed.

AdvertisementGettyArteta's response

Questioning Odegaard's leadership abilities was out of line. Odegaard has led Arsenal exceptionally well this season, both away from the pitch and with his performances on it. One quiet performance where he was completely starved of the ball does not change that.

Time and time again he has been the driving force behind Arsenal's surprise title challenge. He is often the man who sets the tone, and his manager knows it. “I don’t read those comments,” Arteta said of the criticism of his captain.

“What I can say is that he’s been exceptional for us. You look at his contribution, every single day in the team and then what he does out there for us every single time, it’s exceptional. 

"The perfect player that plays perfect football every time doesn’t exist. But what Martin has done this season deserves a lot of credit.”

GettyGuardiola out-thought Arteta

City were incredible in that game at the Etihad and barely let Arsenal out of their half for 90 minutes. Odegaard just didn’t see any of the ball. Had he been given the sort of space Kevin De Bruyne was repeatedly allowed to run into, there’s no doubt he would have been able to influence the game in the same way as the Belgium international.

Arsenal’s front four were passengers against City because Pep Guardiola got his tactics spot on and Mikel Arteta didn’t. The hosts went direct to Erling Haaland, bypassed the press and the Arsenal backline and midfield couldn’t deal with it. That took Odegaard out of the game completely.

But that subdued showing shouldn’t detract from what has been a superb season from the 24-year-old. He may not be your stereotypical captain. He doesn't scream and shout all of the time. But that doesn't mean he doesn’t show leadership qualities. Anyone who has watched Arsenal regularly this season will tell you that he shows them on a regular basis on the pitch.

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GettyLeading by example

Odegaard has led by example with his performances all season long. There was the win at Tottenham, when he ran the show in the north London derby and inspired Arsenal to their first three-point haul at the home of their rivals in nine years.

He bagged both goals in the win at Wolves, while he both scored and produced one of the assists of the season in the excellent victory away at Brighton. The list goes on and on.

But what has really stood out this season with Odegaard is his hunger and his drive to lead from the front. No-one presses harder and does more on the pitch to try and get more out of his team-mates. He sets the standard that others must follow.

“The energy that he has, when he hasn’t got the ball, the movement, the quality, the way he is in that dressing room is exceptional,” Arteta said when asked about Odegaard after Tuesday night’s win. "We’re really pleased to have him as captain.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Em treino ainda sem definir o time que enfrenta o Guarani, na quinta-feira, no Allianz Parque, o Palmeiras teve Fernando Prass como novidade na Academia de Futebol. O goleiro, que deixou o Verdão em dezembro após sete anos no clube, voltou ao antigo centro de treinamento para trabalhar com o Ceará.

A equipe nordestina desembarcou em São Paulo para enfrentar o Oeste, às 21h30 desta quarta-feira, pela Copa do Brasil, em Barueri. O Ceará optou por trabalhar em um dos gramados do centro de treinamento do Verdão e deu ao goleiro de 41 anos a chance de reencontrar amigos. Ele não renovou por opção do antigo diretor de futebol, Alexandre Mattos, que já tinha definido a permanência de Jailson e, nos planos, não ter mais dois experientes no setor.

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Quem está à disposição de Vanderlei Luxemburgo participou de atividades técnicas em campo reduzido, com limitação de toques na bola. Os trabalhos foram encerrados com aprimoramento de cruzamentos e finalizações, mas sem nenhuma indicação da formação que será utilizada.

A definição da equipe ocorrerá às 16h desta quarta-feira, quando o Palmeiras realizará um treino aberto à torcida, no Allianz Parque, local do confronto. Sócios-torcedores e quem tem direito à meia-entrada poderão acompanhar a atividade pagando R$ 1, enquanto os demais torcedores terão de desembolsar R$ 2. A renda será revertida para instituições de caridade e a ideia, com a venda de ingressos, é testar um novo sistema que o clube está implementando.

Apesar de nenhuma atividade desde a vitória por 3 a 1 sobre o Mirassol, no domingo, ter dado pistas de escalação, é bem provável que o Verdão entre em campo com: Weverton; Gabriel Menino, Felipe Melo, Gustavo Gómez e Viña; Bruno Henrique, Zé Rafael e Lucas Lima; Dudu, Willian e Luiz Adriano.

As mudanças mais próximas de ocorrer são a volta de Dudu, que cumpriu suspensão no fim de semana, no lugar de Gabriel Veron, a entrada do volante Gabriel Menino na lateral direita, já que Mayke e Marcos Rocha estão vetados por problemas físicos. No meio-campo, Bruno Henrique deve ser a novidade, embora Ramires e Patrick de Paula, que também reclamam de dores, tenham a possibilidade de ficar à disposição.

O Palmeiras enfrenta o Guarani às 21h30 desta quinta-feira, pela sétima rodada do Campeonato Paulista. O Verdão ocupa o segundo lugar do Grupo B, com 13 pontos, dois abaixo do Santo André, que protagoniza a melhor campanha da competição. O Guarani tem nove pontos, liderando o Grupo D, que tem o Corinthians na segunda posição, com um ponto a menos.