Bielsa hits back at Flamengo criticism, opens up on Arrascaeta injury | OneFootball

What did Marcelo Bielsa say about Flamengo’s Arrascaeta injury?

Coach Marcelo Bielsa used the press conference before Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia to comment on some controversies. One of them involved Arrascaeta, who is out of today’s match, Uruguay’s opener in the World Cup.

After an official statement from Flamengo, the coach made a point of commenting on Arrascaeta’s calf injury. Bielsa even admitted that Uruguay made mistakes in handling the injury, but said that everyone agreed on the planning for Gávea’s No. 10, including Flamengo fitness coach Lanyian Neves.

— De Arrascaeta joined the national team and was accompanied from the very beginning by a person who has worked with him throughout his career (from Flamengo). Nothing was done without that person’s agreement. We take responsibility for this (the injury) — he said, before concluding:

— Every session, every workload he received, was agreed upon with the person who accompanies him, who represented Flamengo’s medical staff, and with us. In the recovery and preparation process, (if this happens) it must be seen as a mistake. As for not having taken every measure to prevent it, we took absolutely every measure — he said.

What is the context of Arrascaeta’s injury?

Arrascaeta joined the Uruguay national team while still recovering from a collarbone injury. The Flamengo midfielder underwent surgery and had to spend time away from the pitch.

To help with Arrascaeta’s recovery, Uruguay approved the presence of Flamengo fitness coach Lanyian Neves with the squad. The idea was for the professional to help the red-and-black midfielder return to the field more quickly.

However, the Uruguay national team changed Arrascaeta’s plan. The midfielder began doing exercises with La Celeste that he should not have been doing, skipping stages of recovery. As a result, during one of the activities, the player suffered another injury, this time a muscle injury in his right calf.

Is Arrascaeta out of Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia?

Yes! Because of the new injury, this time in his calf, Arrascaeta will not be available for Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia. The current expectation is that Flamengo’s No. 10 will return only in the third group-stage match, against Spain.

Is any Flamengo player expected to start for Uruguay?

The expectation is that Guillermo Varela will start. The full-back played in practically all of Uruguay’s warm-up matches before the World Cup and should therefore be among the starting 11 against Saudi Arabia.

De La Cruz, however, is expected to start on the bench in Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia. The player currently has no physical issues. The decision is tied to tactical and technical factors and is coach Marcelo Bielsa’s choice.

What is Uruguay’s likely lineup?

Muslera; Guillermo Varela, Sebastián Cáceres, Mathías Olivera and Matías Viña; Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur, Federic

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