Léo Pereira out of Flamengo clash with Cruzeiro in the Brasileirão | OneFootball

Defender undergoes workload management and did not travel to Belo Horizonte

Although Flamengo announced that Léo Pereira had been included in the squad for this Saturday’s (22) match against Cruzeiro, the center-back did not travel to Belo Horizonte. According to reporting by Rock Hudson and Rodrigo Lima of Coluna do Fla, the absence of the number 4 was confirmed by people who work with him daily at the Ninho do Urubu Training Center.

The decision was made in the final minutes of Friday’s (21) training session, so there was not enough time for Flamengo’s communications department to remove Léo Pereira’s name from the graphic posted on social media. However, the player is not injured.

As a precaution, Flamengo decided not to take Léo Pereira to Minas Gerais due to workload management. As a result, Danilo and Léo Ortiz are expected to form the center-back pairing against Cruzeiro in the match valid for the 24th round of the Brazilian Championship.

Without Léo Pereira, coach Leonardo Jardim included young João Victor, who had been with the under-20 team. It is important to note that Flamengo will also be without center-back Vitão, who remains under the care of the medical department while recovering from an injury.

WHAT TIME IS THE FLAMENGO VS CRUZEIRO MATCH?

The ball starts rolling for Flamengo and Cruzeiro at Mineirão from 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time). The match will be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video via streaming. However, the best and most rubro-negra coverage is from Coluna do Fla, with Rock and Rodrigo reporting directly from the stadium.

The match could put Flamengo at the top of the Brasileirão this Saturday (22). That is because the current leaders, Palmeiras, only face Vasco on Sunday (23) in São Paulo. In other words, if they win in Minas Gerais, Mengão will level on points with the São Paulo side but take first place on the tiebreakers.

WHAT IS THE AUTHOR’S OPINION?

— Léo Pereira had a great game against Cruzeiro on Wednesday, and it was a match that took a lot out of the squad. It is better for coach Leonardo Jardim to rest the player at this moment so as to avoid an injury in the future. Besides that, the squad has players of the same level on the bench —, began Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist for Coluna do Fla.

— Now, it remains to be seen who will play on the left side of the defense. In the times Danilo and Ortiz have played together, the number 3 has played on the left side. They are top-level players and will handle it with ease, helping Flamengo secure three more points in the march toward the Brasileirão title —, Pedro added.

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