Flamengo step up preparations for Santos clash | OneFootball

Leonardo Jardim leads training without Arrascaeta and the four players called up during the FIFA international break

Flamengo have another training session this Friday (02), at 10 a.m. (Brasília time), at Ninho do Urubu. Under Leonardo Jardim, the squad will hold its seventh session since the start of the break for the extended FIFA international window.

This will also be the third session since the players returned last Wednesday (30), after four days off. The group is therefore continuing its preparation to face Santos next Thursday (08), in the 29th round of the Brasileirão.

On the previous day, Jardim led the sixth training session of the break, also in the morning. After the session, Saúl, Léo Ortiz and Joaquín Freitas gave a press conference at the training center.

The club’s schedule keeps training at 10 a.m. through Saturday (03). After that, the players will have Sunday (04) off. That means the coaching staff still has two more sessions at Ninho before the break.

Who is missing from Flamengo training?

The main absence is Arrascaeta. The midfielder fractured his left wrist on Monday (28), in the friendly in which Uruguay beat South Korea 4-1 in Seoul.

On Thursday (01), the No. 10 underwent surgery at Copa Star Hospital in Rio de Janeiro. According to Flamengo, the procedure was completed successfully and without complications. The medical department expects him to return in six to eight weeks.

Because of that, the Uruguayan will miss both Libertadores semifinal matches against Estudiantes (ARG). Meanwhile, Jorge Carrascal and Saúl are the favorites to take his place against Santos.

In addition, Jardim is still without the four called-up players. Pedro and Samuel Lino are with the Brazil national team, which faces India on Saturday (03), at 11 a.m., in Calcutta. Varela, for his part, is representing Uruguay, while Anthony Valencia is on duty with Ecuador.

Football director José Boto explained the situation of each called-up player in an interview on Thursday (01), at Ninho do Urubu:

— For now, (Varela and Anthony Valencia) won’t (face Santos). They’re playing very far away and won’t make it back in time. As for Pedro and Samuel Lino, we are counting on them; they will arrive in time. They won’t be in the best condition, but they will be able to help the team in this important match — said the director.

The schedule for the foreign players works against them. Uruguay only faces India on Tuesday (06). Ecuador, meanwhile, will play Panama for third place in the Kirin Cup on Monday (05), in Japan.

What is the medical department situation?

The team’s return brought good news regarding Gonzalo Plata. The Ecuadorian has recovered from discomfort in his right thigh and returned to training with the squad.

Ayrton Lucas has also gone back to working with his teammates, but he remains under the care of the medical department. The full-back suffered a muscle injury in the back of his right thigh against Red Bull Bragantino. Therefore, his response in training over this final stretch will determine whether he will be available.

On the other hand, defensive midfielder Evertton Araújo remains out. He is being treated for a grade 3 muscle injury in the adductor of his left thigh.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Flamengo face Santos on Thursday (08), at 7:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Vila Belmiro. Premiere will broadcast the match on pay-per-view.

The team has not played since September 20, when it beat Red Bull Bragantino 2-1 at the Maracanã. So the team will go 18 days without playing before the trip to the coast of São Paulo state.

At the moment, Rubro-Negro lead the Brasileirão with 60 points, three more than Palmeiras. In addition, they are on a seven-match unbeaten run, with six wins in that span. Santos, in turn, sit in eighth place with 38 points.

After Vila Belmiro, the schedule gets tougher. Flamengo host Fluminense on Sunday (11), at 5:30 p.m., at the Maracanã. Then they visit Estudiantes (ARG) on the 15th, at 9:30 p.m., in La Plata, for the first leg of the Libertadores semifinal.

Next, the team faces Bahia on the 18th at Arena Fonte Nova. Finally, they will decide a place in the continental final on the 22nd, at 9:30 p.m., at the Maracanã. In total, there will be five matches in 15 days.

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