Alex Sandro v Ayrton Lucas: Jardim on Flamengo left-back battle | OneFootball

Coach spoke about the position battle following Alex Sandro’s return, after he spent almost two months sidelined

After nearly two months without playing, Alex Sandro returned to action in Flamengo’s 2-1 win over Corinthians this Sunday (13), in the 27th round of the Brasileirão. Amid the full-back’s return, Leonardo Jardim detailed the competition for the spot with Ayrton Lucas.

What did Leonardo Jardim say about the battle for the left-back spot?

— I’m a coach, and you know I respect performance a lot. At this moment, Ayrton is more of a starter than Alex. That doesn’t mean there won’t be changes in the future. But right now, performance is something that is very important to me. I say it very often: it’s important for us to have alternatives -, he said, before concluding:

— I have great confidence in Alex, just as I also have great confidence in Ayrton. Everyone has already understood that at Flamengo it’s not about names; Flamengo is about those who come in and try to give their best. In training, I’m the one who sees it, who is there, and I know who fights to defend Flamengo’s colors. These two are among those who fight every day. Sometimes things don’t go well, but we need to support them. They have shown that they are capable players -, Jardim concluded.

How did Ayrton Lucas become the starting left-back?

Ayrton Lucas is currently on a run of ten consecutive matches as a Flamengo starter. The number 6 took over the position after Alex Sandro was sidelined with pain in his right calf.

That way, his teammate’s injury opened the door for the strong form Ayrton Lucas showed throughout those matches. The full-back made the most of that run of games to establish himself among the starters in Leonardo Jardim’s team.

Since when had Alex Sandro been out of action?

Alex Sandro had not played since July 29. On that occasion, Flamengo drew 1-1 with Internacional at Beira-Rio in the 21st round of the Brasileirão. After the match, the full-back reported pain in his right calf and began medical treatment with the club’s Medical Department.

So, Alex Sandro is now going through a phase of regaining match fitness within the squad. However, the battle for the position remains open, as Leonardo Jardim emphasized. The coach made it clear that performance will continue to be the main criterion in choosing the starter at left-back.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

With Alex Sandro and Ayrton Lucas available, Flamengo return to the pitch this Thursday (17) to face Independiente del Valle (ECU) again. The match will take place at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã, in the second leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals.

As tradition dictates, Coluna do Fla brings you all the details of Flamengo’s 2026 season. So stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. In addition, ESPN (pay TV) and Disney+ (streaming) will broadcast the match against Independiente del Valle.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.