Filipe Luís on Saúl missing Flamengo v Mirassol: “He’s not ready…” | OneFootball

Saúl Ñíguez joined Flamengo after becoming a free agent

Coach Filipe Luís explained the decision to leave the Spanish midfielder Saúl Ñíguez on the bench during the 2-1 victory over Mirassol, this Saturday (09), at Maracanã. Despite the player's versatility, the coach opted for the duo of Allan and Everton Araújo in the midfield, in the 19th round of the Brasileirão.

— Saúl is versatile, but today, given the squad composition, I see him in the position that Gerson was in. I had already talked to him before he came here. It was the position he played at Atlético de Madrid and where he performed best. He has a lot to offer in that position. He arrives well in the area, is decisive, and today he was an option for the defensive midfielder role if needed. He still doesn't have all the content yet, and I tried to hold off on that substitution today, - highlighted Filipe Luís during a press conference.

Did Flamengo pay for Saúl?

The Spaniard belonged to Atlético de Madrid (ESP) and terminated his contract with the club at the end of July. Therefore, Flamengo signed him at zero cost, not considering bonuses and signing fees. Thus far, the midfielder has played three games with the Sacred Mantle.

Who scored the goals against Mirassol?

On Filipe Luís's birthday, the Rubro-Negro opened the scoring with Léo Pereira and extended it with Gonzalo Plata. However, Mirassol reduced the deficit with Gabriel, a former Flamengo player from 2013 to 2017, who took advantage of the "law of the ex" to score.

How is Rubro-Negro doing in the Brasileirão?

With the victory over Mirassol, Flamengo secured the lead in the Brazilian Championship. At this moment, the Most Beloved has 40 points, while Cruzeiro, in second place, has 37. In other words, the Rubro-Negro has a three-point advantage.

What is Flamengo's next match?

The next match for Flamengo is on Wednesday (13), against Internacional, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores. The match will be held at Maracanã, starting at 9:30 PM (Brasília time), with broadcast by Rede Globo on open channel.

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