Johnny seizes on Alex Sandro slip and ‘books’ Flamengo spot

In partnership with

Coluna do Fla

·24 August 2026

Johnny seizes on Alex Sandro slip and ‘books’ 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 secure a spot among Mengão’s senior squad.

OneFootball Videos

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 some 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 against Cruzeiro in the Libertadores round of 16. Given this situation, the defender has been able to gain plenty of experience and ‘toughness’ alongside the more experienced players in the rubro-negro squad.

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

WHAT HAS JOHNNY’S PATH BEEN LIKE WITH FLAMENGO’S SENIOR 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 period. That way, Johnny made 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 with the rest of his teammates to Portugal. In the matches during that period, in fact, the defender played an active role and was one of Flamengo’s standouts at the time.

According to reporting by Coluna do Fla, Johnny has been viewed positively 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 senior squad. In this way, the youngster is part of the entire plan set up for Mengão’s ‘adult 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 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã. As a result, Coluna do Fla TV, as usual, will show the details of the match with the most rubro-negro coverage on the internet on YouTube, as well as on its website and social media.

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