Coluna do Fla
·18 de enero de 2026
Flamengo player makes surprise appearance at Atlético de Madrid match

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Yahoo sportsColuna do Fla
·18 de enero de 2026

The midfielder Saúl Ñíguez remains in Spain after undergoing surgery on his left heel. Taking advantage of his time in the country where he was born, the Flamengo player appeared at the Atlético de Madrid (ESP) stadium on crutches.
In a round of the Spanish Championship, Atlético de Madrid defeated Alavés (ESP) 1-0. One of the people present at the venue this Sunday (18th) was Saúl Ñíguez. The midfielder even posted a photo on social media inside the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. Before transferring to Mengão, the player used to play for the Spanish team.
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Photos: Social Media / Reproduction
In the final stretch of the last season, Saúl began to experience heel pain. However, initially, the Medical Department of Flamengo, along with the athlete, opted for a conservative treatment, which allowed the midfielder to play until the team's last commitment of the year.
After the season ended, Flamengo conducted another examination to assess Saúl's clinical condition. Following the results, the athlete underwent surgery in Spain and will only return to activities with the Rubro-Negro once he is discharged by the doctor who operated on him.
While Saúl continues to recover, the main Flamengo squad remains focused on the 2026 pre-season. The players returned to training last Monday (12th) at the Ninho do Urubu training center.
The expectation is that the 'full strength' team will only return to action at the start of the Brasileirão against São Paulo on January 28th. Thus, the under-20 team is expected to continue playing in the upcoming rounds of the Carioca.
The next commitment for Flamengo in the Carioca will be against Vasco, in the third round. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) this Wednesday (21st) at Maracanã. Thus, Coluna do Fla TV will provide detailed coverage of the match 'on-site' on YouTube, as well as on the website and social media.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.









































