Willian Arão undergoes kidney stone surgery, to miss Brasileirão start | OneFootball

Santos captain and former Flamengo midfielder Willian Arão underwent surgery on Monday to remove a large kidney stone, ruling him out of the 2026 Brasileirão opener.

The club said in a statement that, after the 0-0 draw with Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday 25, he suffered severe pain, tests identified the issue and recommended an operation to prevent a more serious problem.

The stone measured about one centimetre, and an internal catheter was fitted as part of his recovery.

Arão, a 2019 Libertadores winner with Flamengo, is expected to return within two weeks. He will miss Wednesday's trip to Chapecó to face Chapecoense.

On the same night, Flamengo visit São Paulo at the Morumbi at 21:30 Brasília time. They are also without Saúl Ñíguez, Danilo and Ayrton Lucas as they continue their recoveries from last season, while De La Cruz is a doubt.

Source: Coluna Do Fla