After almost a year, Pedro Paulo returns to play for Corinthians U20 after recovering from an ACL injury

- By Mirella Ramos / Central do Timão Editorial

Corinthians U20 had a special reason to celebrate in addition to the 1 x 0 victory over Sertãozinho, last Sunday (5), for the Campeonato Paulista category. Defender Pedro Paulo, known as Paulão, returned to the field after almost a year away due to a serious injury to his right knee.

The defender was called into action in the 67th minute of the second half and participated in the final stretch of the match, which ended in a black and white triumph thanks to Luiz Eduardo's goal. The performance marked the player's official return since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), suffered in July 2025.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel / Corinthians
At the time, Pedro Paulo played for Corinthians U17 and was the team captain. The injury occurred in stoppage time of the 2 x 1 victory over Internacional, in the Brazilian Under-17 Championship, at Fazendinha. The defender was injured alone, without contact with opponents, and had to leave the pitch when Timãozinho had already made all the substitutions.

The injury ended the defender's season prematurely, and he had to undergo surgery and begin a long recovery process. As a result, Pedro Paulo was also left out of the 2026 São Paulo Junior Football Cup.

Even during the period away from the field, Corinthians maintained confidence in the athlete's potential. In November 2025, the club agreed to a contractual amendment with the defender, significantly increasing the amounts of his termination fine. For the national market, the fine went from R$10 million to R$20 million. For clubs abroad, the value was raised from 30 to 50 million euros. The bond remained valid until March 2027.

Before the injury, Pedro Paulo was one of the main highlights of the 2008 Corinthians generation. In 2025, he played 12 matches for the Under-17s, nine of them as a starter, scored two goals and formed the team's defense duo alongside Iago Machado.

Now recovered, the defender begins a new stage at the club. Integrated into the Under-20 squad, Pedro Paulo returns to gaining minutes and looking for space after a long period of recovery, reinforcing the team as the season continues.

The post After almost a year, Pedro Paulo returns to play for Corinthians U20 after recovering from an ACL injury first appeared on Central do Timão.

The content After almost a year, Pedro Paulo returns to play for Corinthians U20 after recovering from an ACL injury appears first in Central do Timão.

Source: Timao Central