Flamengo may debut four players in Libertadores v Internacional | OneFootball

With Champions League experience, four Flamengo players are set to make their Libertadores debut

The knockout stage of the Libertadores is about to begin for Flamengo. On Wednesday (13), the Most Beloved will face Internacional in the first leg of the round of 16. Mengão may promote the debuts of four players in the competition in their respective careers. After all, Emerson Royal, Jorginho, Saúl and Samuel Lino have never played in the tournament.

In the case of Saúl, there is no mystery. The midfielder is Spanish and has never played in South America in his career. Therefore, he has not even come close to playing in the Copa Libertadores da América. On the other hand, the player is an expert in continental competitions, with ten participations in the Champions League and three in the Europa League.

AND THE BRAZILIANS, HAVE THEY NEVER PLAYED IN THE LIBERTADORES?

Of the five reinforcements in the mid-year window, four are South Americans: Emerson Royal, Jorginho, Carrascal and Samuel Lino. The Colombian has already played in the Libertadores, but the three Brazilians have not. The full-back even came close when he helped Atlético-MG qualify for the 2019 competition, but was traded to Real Betis (ESP) the previous year.

— It's a very difficult competition, we know how important it is. It's Internacional, who also has a lot of quality, we know their quality. We have two games in a row against them, it happened more or less the same against Atlético-MG (in the Copa do Brasil). We're going to win with me. I always like to emphasize, we're Flamengo. We'll go for the wins in both games —, said Emerson, in the mixed zone at Maracanã last Saturday (09).

Royal, who has two participations in the Champions and one in the Europa League, even played professionally in Brazil. However, Jorginho didn't even do that. The midfielder left early for Italy, even wore the shirt of the European country's national team and participated in eight Champions and five Europa Leagues.

WHAT DID JORGINHO SAY ABOUT HIS DEBUT IN THE LIBERTADORES?

— The expectation is great and the desire, even greater. We're preparing very well for this game, which is fundamental and very important. But for me, there is also the desire for my personal debut in this competition, which I watched so much when I was little. Of course, the Nation will be with us, and we're very motivated and happy to know that the tickets are sold out. It will be a great party, a great show, and we'll do everything to leave with this victory, which is so important for all of us —, said Jorginho.

Finally, the other possible debutant is Samuel Lino. With a past in Flamengo's youth team, the striker did not play for the professional team at the time. The athlete even played for a senior team in Brazil until 2019, at São Bernardo, so he did not take the field in Libertadores. Later, the Ninho's creation made a career in Europe, with two Champions League appearances on his resume.

HOW MANY LIBERTADORES HAS CARRASCAL PLAYED?

Of the five reinforcements of Flamengo in the middle of the year, only Carrascal has experience in the Copa Libertadores da América. The midfielder played the tournament three times, from 2019 to 2021, with the River Plate (ARG) shirt. It is important to note that the athlete has not even entered the field for Mengão yet.

Therefore, with the quintet of reinforcements, Flamengo faces Internacional, starting at 9:30 PM (Brasília time). If there is Mengão on the field, then there is full coverage of Coluna do Fla, on the site, on social media, and on YouTube. In addition, Globo (open channel), ESPN (closed TV), and Disney Plus show the match.

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