Check out Vasco’s line-up to face Flamengo this Wednesday | OneFootball

Vasco will have their full strength in the classic match against Flamengo this Wednesday at Maracanã, for the third round of the Campeonato Carioca. The match will be played at 9:30 PM and is being internally treated as an important test before the debut in the Brazilian Championship.

Fernando Diniz decided to field the main names of the squad after resting the starters in the previous round against Nova Iguaçu. The coaching staff sees the classic as an opportunity to observe the team's performance in a more demanding scenario, especially with the start of the Brasileirão in mind, scheduled for next week, away against Mirassol.

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Vasco da Gama vs. Nova Iguaçu for the Campeonato Carioca held at Estádio de São Januário on January 18, 2026. Photos: Matheus Lima/Vasco.

The main absence will be Rayan. The forward did not participate in the last training sessions and is out of the match amid negotiations with Bournemouth, England, as well as interest from other European clubs like Newcastle. Vasco is monitoring the progress of the talks and awaits the player's future decision.

Without Rayan, the tendency is for the offensive sector to be formed by Andrés Gómez, Nuno Moreira, and David, with GB appearing as an alternative. In the midfield, Barros, Thiago Mendes, and Philippe Coutinho are expected to remain as starters, while the defense continues with Léo Jardim in goal, Paulo Henrique, Cuesta, Robert Renan, and Lucas Piton.

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Vasco da Gama vs. Nova Iguaçu for the Campeonato Carioca held at Estádio de São Januário on January 18, 2026. Photos: Matheus Lima/Vasco.

With four points earned in the first two rounds, Vasco occupies the second position in Group A of the Campeonato Carioca. Flamengo, on the other hand, arrives at the classic under pressure, occupying the last position in Group B, with one draw and two losses.

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