Flamengo boss admits he may rest players v Corinthians in Brasileirão | OneFootball

Flamengo could take the field with changes against Corinthians in the Brazilian Championship. After the win over Independiente del Valle in Ecuador, head coach Leonardo Jardim indicated that some players who had little involvement in the Libertadores match could get more opportunities in this Sunday’s (13th) game, at 5:30 p.m., at the Maracanã.

The decision is directly related to the tight schedule faced by the Rubro-Negro. On Thursday, the Rio de Janeiro side beat Independiente del Valle 2-0 in Quito in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. In addition to the intense match, the players had to perform at around 2,850 meters above sea level, a condition that contributed to greater physical wear and tear.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca / Corinthians Agency

With little time available until the next match, Jardim explained that the plan is to recover the starters and use players who logged fewer minutes at altitude. “We’re going to make use of some players who played less today. Start the recovery process and try to get them ready for the Corinthians match,” said the coach.

The Portuguese manager also drew attention to the logistics faced by the squad. Besides the short gap between matches, the delegation also had to deal with a long trip back to Brazil. For Jardim, the effort shown by the players in Quito needs to be taken into account when putting together the team that will face Corinthians.

“The wear and tear is real because there are only two days of recovery, a very long trip, many hours, and as you saw, the difficulty the players had. The players have this fatigue because they ran, worked, fought for the full 90 minutes,” he continued.

Faced with such a demanding run, the coach highlighted the importance of having alternatives in the squad. The possibility of resting certain players also reinforces the need for a roster capable of handling a season with decisive matches practically every few days.

“That’s why it’s important (to have a deep squad). What has to make the difference at Flamengo is its squad in this kind of madness, where we have to play every midweek and always with the responsibility of winning the games,” he added.

The clash also pits teams against each other that are experiencing different situations in the domestic competition. Corinthians arrive under pressure after suffering four straight defeats and are trying to use the match at the Maracanã to begin a recovery in the league.

On the other side, Flamengo take the field with a different goal. Leaders of the Brasileirão, the Rio side intend to make the most of the round to add three more points and extend their lead at the top, keeping Palmeiras further behind in the title race.

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