Toluca will try to save its Clausura 2026 season on Sunday without Paulinho. The forward will miss the second leg of the quarterfinal series against Pachuca because of a muscle overload, and coach Antonio Mohamed decided not to risk him for the match on May 10, 2026.
The absence matters because Toluca lost the first leg 1-0 at the Nemesio Diez and now needs to win by at least two goals at the Estadio Hidalgo to stay in the competition. Paulinho has been one of Toluca’s key players this campaign, appearing in 13 matches and starting 11 of them while scoring six goals.
The timing leaves Toluca balancing two demands at once. The club won the Apertura 2025 and Clausura 2025 titles, and Paulinho finished as the scoring champion in both tournaments, but the team also has a Concacaf Champions Cup final against Tigres on May 30, 2026, later in the month.
That gives Mohamed a clear tradeoff: push for a comeback against Pachuca now, or protect one of his most productive attackers for a schedule that already includes a final against Tigres. For Toluca, the first answer must come without the striker who helped carry it through much of the season.
