Saúl breaks silence on need for surgery ahead of 2026 season | OneFootball

Spanish Midfielder Points to Lack of Pre-Season and Hard Pitches as Cause of Tendon Injury

The midfielder Saúl Ñíguez is dealing with a tendon issue but remains available for Flamengo for the Intercontinental. According to the player himself, the cause of the injury was the lack of preparation before debuting with the Sacred Mantle.

— There was no pre-season, I simply started playing. So, physically, I had very good moments and very bad moments. I had to try to manage the times when I was in very poor physical condition -, highlighted Saúl to add that:

— Against Estudiantes (ARG), I had a problem and, since then, I had to apply anesthesia to play. After the Bahia match, everything changed because I no longer applied it, it was already complicated and I was enduring the pain -, stated the Spaniard, this Tuesday (09), to 'GE'.

Will Saúl Undergo Surgery?

The midfielder is undecided about surgical intervention as a way to speed up the treatment. Besides the pre-season, the athlete highlights that his body was accustomed to the playing conditions in Europe, which is one of the factors of the tendon issue.

— I will see if at the end of the season I undergo this surgery to try to find a solution. I think all this comes a bit from the pitch, which can be harder than in Europe. So, I am having this problem that I think, by doing this, I can provide a long-term solution as well -, pointed out Saúl.

How Long Has Saúl Been with Flamengo?

As a Spaniard, the midfielder spent his entire career in Europe. Thus, Atlético de Madrid (ESP), Chelsea (ENG), and Sevilla (ESP) were the only clubs in Saúl's career until July of this year, when he decided against going to Turkey to play for Flamengo.

The player's injury might explain his low playing time in recent games. In the last three matches, for example, the athlete has only five minutes on the field. The midfielder did not play against Palmeiras in the Libertadores final.

Will Saúl Play the Intercontinental?

The Spaniard states that he is available to Filipe Luís for Flamengo's debut in the Intercontinental. Therefore, the Rubro-Negro faces Cruz Azul (MEX) this Wednesday (10), starting at 2 PM (Brasília time), in Doha, Qatar.

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