Will Flamengo go full strength for the Carioca run-in? Club plan explained | OneFootball

Flamengo scraped into the Carioca quarter-finals as Group B's final qualifiers and must now juggle State, Brasileirão and Recopa fixtures.

According to Globo.com, Filipe Luís and the board have treated the Carioca as pre-season, starting with the under-20s then rotating seniors. Even needing victory over Sampaio Corrêa, the coach rested Arrascaeta, Alex Sandro, Rossi, Varela and Léo Ortiz.

Botafogo await at Nilton Santos in the quarter-finals. Win and it is a two-legged semi then a possible one-off final. Lose and Flamengo drop into the Taça Rio, on the same dates and format.

There is no calendar relief, so Flamengo will still chase a 40th State crown but will prioritise the league and Recopa in workload management. Players showing greater fatigue, if they need protecting, will be spared in the State games.

Ferj regulations require first-team selection from the third round, with clubs risking the loss of their entire Carioca fee, R$ 10 million for Flamengo. Guidance this week asked for at least seven recognised starters.

The run reads: 10/02 Vitória in the Brasileirão, 15/02 Botafogo in the quarters, 19/02 Lanús in the Recopa first leg, 22/02 the Carioca or Taça Rio semi first leg, 26/02 Lanús in the second leg, 01/03 the semi second leg, and 07 or 08/03 the final.

Qualification also spared Flamengo an even heavier load. Failure would have meant a relegation quadrangular, two extra fixtures clashing with Vitória at the Barradão this week and Lanús at the Maracanã late in the month.

Source: Globo.com