Johnny seizes Alex Sandro slip and ‘seals’ Flamengo spot

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Coluna do Fla

·24 August 2026

Johnny seizes Alex Sandro slip and ‘seals’ Flamengo spot

What has Johnny’s day-to-day been like at Flamengo?

By: Rodrigo Lima

Left back Alex Sandro has missed Flamengo’s most recent matches, as he remains under the care of the club’s Medical Department due to pain in his right calf. Given this situation, Johnny has taken advantage of the ‘opening’ left by the experienced player in the position to lock in a spot among Mengão’s first-team squad.

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With Alex Sandro out, Johnny has become Ayrton Lucas’s immediate backup, with Ayrton appearing as the starter. In recent matches, the 19-year-old began as an option on the bench and got minutes in Flamengo’s rout over Mirassol in the Brasileirão.

In addition to the Brasileirão matches, Johnny was also included in Flamengo’s squad for both clashes with Cruzeiro in the Libertadores round of 16. Given this situation, the defender has been able to gain a lot of experience and toughness alongside the more experienced players in the red-and-black squad.

It is important to stress that this is not the first time Johnny has been given opportunities with the professional team. Earlier this season, the defender, who was still playing for the under-20s, was ‘promoted’ to

WHAT HAS JOHNNY’S PATH BEEN LIKE IN FLAMENGO’S PROFESSIONAL TEAM?

Even before the World Cup began, Leonardo Jardim made it clear that he wanted to observe some youth academy players during the mid-season break. That way, Johnny was included on the Portuguese coach’s list to join the team’s training sessions.

In addition to the activities at CT Ninho do Urubu, Johnny also traveled to Portugal with the rest of his teammates. In the matches during that mid-season period, the defender was actively involved and was one of Flamengo’s standouts at the time.

According to reporting by Coluna do Fla, Johnny has been viewed favorably by Flamengo’s Football Department. Behind the scenes, the talk is that the player is seen as a possible ‘successor’ at left back in the near future.

Because of this situation, Leonardo Jardim ‘promoted’ Johnny and now he is only part of the professional squad. In this way, the youngster is part of the entire plan put together for Mengão’s ‘senior team.’

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With Johnny available, Flamengo return to the field only on Sunday (30) to face Botafogo in the Brasileirão. In short, the ball starts rolling for the derby at 4:00 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã. As a result, Coluna do Fla TV, as usual, will bring the details of the match with the most red-and-black coverage on the internet on YouTube, in addition to the website and social media.

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