Flamengo player says he'll skip holidays during World Cup break

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·27 de mayo de 2026

Flamengo player says he'll skip holidays during World Cup break

During the break for the Club World Cup, Saúl said he will keep training

The year 2026 has been a difficult one for Saúl. The midfielder missed the first few months of the season while recovering from tendon surgery. Later, the Spaniard had to race against time to get back into shape. Now, with the Brasileirão calendar paused because of the World Cup, the No. 8 says he will give up his break in order to return in good form for the second half of the year.

— I still don’t know how much time we’ll have, but I do know that I have to work, come back in the best physical condition, and make sure the tendon is fine. So, I’m not going on vacation. Physically, I still have a long way to go; since December 18 I hadn’t been playing many matches. The other day I played against Athletico-PR on artificial turf and I suffered a lot, but the team needed me —, said Saúl.

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— Today (Tuesday) it was the same. Yesterday (Monday) I didn’t know if I’d be able to play because of the pain, but I woke up feeling better and had the chance to play, to get some minutes, and little by little try to do more difficult things. I hope that each time I return I’ll be physically well and able to compete on equal terms with my teammates —, he added.

WHAT HAPPENED TO SAÚL IN THE MATCH?

Against Cusco (PER) on Tuesday (26), Saúl started the match. However, the midfielder suffered a heavy challenge in the second half right on the tendon in his left leg, where he had surgery, and had to be substituted. Because of this, the Spaniard will undergo tests this Thursday (28), when the squad returns, and is doubtful for the clash with Coritiba.

“I don’t know (if it’s serious) because it was exactly the operated tendon, where the scar is, where I have pain. We’ll see how we treat it,” said Saúl, who also spoke about the feeling of playing for Flamengo. “South American football fascinates me. I’m very grateful to Flamengo for giving me the opportunity to wear this shirt. It’s incredible to feel involved; I had never experienced this before, except at Atlético de Madrid. I feel very proud to wear this shirt.”

WHEN WILL FLAMENGO’S VACATION BE?

Part of the Rubro-Negro squad will go on vacation starting Sunday (31) and will have approximately 15 days off. During this period, Saúl will undergo a private “intensive” program to recover from the pain and shine in the second half of the year.

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