Jardim reveals De La Cruz injury blow at Flamengo: “Unsure how long out” | OneFootball

What happened to De La Cruz at Flamengo?

Flamengo beat Olimpia (PAR) this Friday (17), 4-2, in a mid-season friendly. Left out of the squad list, Nico De La Cruz was brought up in the press conference, and Leonardo Jardim revealed that the Uruguayan has a new physical issue.

— Nico (De La Cruz), we had an issue in our medical strength assessments, and he also has a problem that I don’t know how long will keep him out — said Leonardo Jardim.

It is worth noting that the Flamengo players called up for the World Cup went through several evaluations when they returned to CT Ninho do Urubu. As a result, De La Cruz did not pass the tests carried out by Mengão’s Medical Department.

What is De La Cruz’s situation at Flamengo?

De La Cruz signed with Flamengo in December 2023, arriving directly from River Plate (ARG) for 16 million dollars (R$ 77.7 million at the exchange rate at the time). The midfielder, in fact, has a contract with the Rubro-Negro club until December 2028.

However, since arriving at Flamengo, De La Cruz has dealt with constant physical problems, especially in his knees. There were four injuries in 2024, causing him to miss 26 matches, and another five injuries in 2025, with 21 games without the defensive midfielder.

What are De La Cruz’s numbers in 2026?

So far, De La Cruz has made 19 appearances for Flamengo in 2026, with one goal and one assist. In addition, wearing Uruguay’s shirt, the midfielder played in three World Cup matches, although he did not start any of them.

What is Flamengo’s next match?

Without being certain about Nico’s availability, Flamengo return to the pitch this Wednesday (22) to face Chapecoense. The match will take place at Arena Condá, in Santa Catarina, at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time), for the 19th round of the Brasileirão.

As usual, Coluna do Fla brings all the details about Flamengo in the 2026 season. So, stay tuned to the website, social media, and YouTube. However, Globo (subscription channel) and Premiere (pay-per-view) will broadcast the match.

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