Flu in final prep for crucial match: rest and training key | OneFootball

After the 0-0 draw with Santos at Vila Belmiro, Fluminense will not play again until Wednesday, September 10, when they host Bahia in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil quarterfinals. Amid the FIFA date, the club organized a strategic break for the group. The players rested for four days and reported back last Friday at the Carlos Castilho Training Center, starting the specific preparation for this week's crucial match. The only exception to the break was Soteldo, who was called up by the Venezuelan national team.

Renato Gaúcho emphasized that the interruption in the schedule came at a good time for the squad to recharge their batteries after an intense sequence of matches and trips. In his words:

— The best training for us now will be these four days off that our players will have. All the clubs had vacations, my group did not have vacations, did not have time off. So in these four days off, this will be the best training. They rest their minds, enjoy their families, enjoy what should be done. On Friday everyone comes back for us to start training and we think about Wednesday's game against Bahia — said Renato Gaúcho.

With the recent window, the period also serves to accelerate the integration of reinforcements. Lucho Acosta and Santiago Moreno have more field time and work with their new teammates, while Igor Rabello, who debuted against Santos, is observed more closely by the technical committee throughout this week's sessions.

In the medical department, the situation that requires the most care is that of Samuel Xavier. The right-back is expected to recover in up to six weeks, which rules him out of Wednesday's match against Bahia.

In the Brasileirão, the 0-0 in Baixada didn't change much of the panorama for Tricolor. The team reached 28 points and is in ninth place, still far from the G-6 pack. On the other hand, Santos went to 22 points, in 15th, pressured by the relegation zone, which has Vasco with 19 points in 17th.

Tricolor's schedule on the FIFA date:

Flu will hold the last training session tomorrow before the return match against Bahia - who in turn played twice and lifted the Copa do Nordeste trophy. If on one hand the Bahians had more wear and tear, on the other they arrive boosted by two routs and the regional title.

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