De La Cruz a concern for Flamengo ahead of pre-season after knee procedure? | OneFootball

Uruguayan Underwent Procedure on Left Knee During Vacation

Flamengo continues to meticulously plan for the 2026 season, which is about to begin. After having few opportunities in 2025, De La Cruz underwent a medical procedure on his left knee to increase his chances this year.

But is De La Cruz a concern for Flamengo for the pre-season?

No! De La Cruz is not a concern for Flamengo as the squad prepares for pre-season. This is because the medical procedure does not alter the athlete’s schedule. As a result, the Most Beloved expects the Uruguayan at Ninho do Urubu next Monday (12), the date when the squad returns.

What medical procedure was performed on the player?

In short, the procedure was considered simple and uses substances from the player’s own body to stimulate healing of injuries, with a regenerative medicine approach. Thus, doctors drew blood from the hip bone of De La Cruz to apply it to his left knee.

As such, Flamengo’s Medical Department maintained direct contact with the professional responsible for the procedure. It’s worth noting that everything was done in Uruguay while De La Cruz was on vacation, precisely so as not to interfere with the player’s return to training.

What happened to De La Cruz?

It’s important to remember that De La Cruz has a chronic injury in his right knee and, during 2025, began to suffer from inflammation in his left knee as well. Last year, the left side was the most bothersome and was what kept the Uruguayan out of several Flamengo matches.

Not by chance, Flamengo’s Medical Department implemented a special protocol for De La Cruz throughout the 2025 season. For this reason, the club’s medical staff managed the player’s workload. Finally, the idea is to maintain this approach in the upcoming season to avoid serious injuries.

And what are the player’s next steps?

De La Cruz will report back to Flamengo next Monday (12). At Ninho do Urubu, the player and the rest of the red-and-black squad will begin pre-season, focusing on the six competitions scheduled throughout the year.

This is because, in the 2026 season, Flamengo will compete in: Campeonato Carioca, Supercopa do Brasil, Recopa Sudamericana, Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, and Libertadores da América. If the team wins the continental competition again, Fla will also have the Club World Cup ahead.

Meanwhile, De La Cruz is enjoying the last days of vacation, while the alternate team debuts in the Carioca. On Sunday (11), Fla faces Portuguesa, in a match brought forward from the fifth round of the State Championship. The teams will face off starting at 6pm (Brasília time), at Raulino de Oliveira, in Volta Redonda.

Initially, it’s worth noting, the match between Flamengo and Portuguesa was scheduled for January 31. However, FERJ had to change the date due to the Supercopa do Brasil between Fla and Corinthians, on February 1.

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