Palmeiras adds another casualty due to COVID-19, goalkeeper Vinicius, and calls a 19-year-old goalkeeper to replace him

The brazilian palm trees, champion of the last two editions of the Libertadores Cupcalled up a 19-year-old goalkeeper to complete the team that is already focused on Abu Dhabi to dispute the Club World Cup and replace the goalkeeper Vinicius Silvestrewho contracted COVID-19.

Goalkeeper Mateus, who this month was crowned champion with Palmeiras in the Copa Sao Paulo Júnior, the main youth tournament in Brazil, was summoned at the last minute and plans to leave for the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, where he can be registered as Palmeiras third goalkeeper.

The youth was provisionally called to replace Vinicius Silvestre, one of the three goalkeepers with whom the São Paulo club traveled to the World Cup and who tested positive in the diagnostic test he underwent on Friday morning.

Palmeiras announced that Mateus will be registered to play the World Cup in the event that Vinicuis Silvestre, who is isolated and does not participate in training, returns positive in the covid diagnostic tests to which he will be subjected on Saturday and Sunday.

The other two Palmeiras goalkeepers in the World Cup are the regular Weverton, a player for the Brazilian team, and Marcelo Lomba, a reinforcement hired this year from Internacional.

Meteus, a goalkeeper who is 1.99 meters tall, was one of the figures in the campaign with which Palmeiras won the Sao Paulo Junior Cup. The player has been playing in the youth divisions of the green club since 2016.

Despite the fact that he has never played with the professional team, he has been called up by coach Abel Ferreira for nine games thanks to the fact that in his commitments for the youth team he has only suffered five goals.

Two other youngsters who won the Sao Paulo Cup with Palmeiras are also part of the delegation that Palmeiras took to Abu Dhabi: winger Vanderlan and the attacker Giovani.

They were summoned to replace the Uruguayan winger Joaquin Piquerez and to striker Gabriel Veron, who tested positive for coronavirus before Palmeiras’ trip to the United Arab Emirates, are isolated in Sao Paulo and can board in case their next tests are negative.

Palmeiras will debut in the World Cup on Tuesday, when he will face the winner of the duel between the Egyptian Al Ahly and the Mexican Monterrey. In case of winning their match by semifinals, they will access the final. (D)