Varela vs Emerson Royal: Who starts at right-back for Flamengo? | OneFootball

Royal turned teammate Varela's injury into an opportunity as a starter at Flamengo

Coach Filipe Luís faces some dilemmas for the game against Racing (ARG) this Wednesday (22). Besides the recovery of defender Léo Ortiz, the Flamengo coach must decide between Guillermo Varela and Emerson Royal for the right-back position.

The choice seems obvious, as Royal has been a starter in Flamengo's last three matches. However, Varela is more experienced, has been with the team longer, and had his contract renewed at Filipe Luís's request.

The career statistics of each player, however, show an advantage for the Brazilian. Royal, who is 26 years old, has played 261 matches in his career, while Varela, at 32, has played 220 matches. The data was sourced from Sofascore.

What are Varela and Emerson Royal's career statistics?

Guillermo Varela vs. Emerson Royal:

The difference in the number of matches, even with the age difference, can be explained by the injury history. According to Transfermarkt, Varela has had 16 injuries in his career, compared to just six for Royal.

Is Varela available?

— Varela had a minor injury when he returned from Uruguay, played through the pain, and is a crucial player for this internal competition between the two — revealed Filipe Luís on Sunday (19), after the victory over Palmeiras.

On that occasion, Varela was on the bench and watched his positional rival play the full 90 minutes. At the end of the 29th round of the Brasileirão, Filipe Luís praised the starter Royal.

Where do Flamengo and Racing face off?

With Royal and Varela available, the first leg between Flamengo and Racing takes place this Wednesday (22), for the semifinals of the Libertadores. The match kicks off at 9:30 PM (Brasília time) at Maracanã.

The Coluna do Fla will provide the best internet coverage through YouTube, the website, and social media. However, Globo (open channel) and GE TV (YouTube) will broadcast Flamengo vs. Racing.

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