FIFA break: De La Cruz eyes return to Flamengo starting XI | OneFootball

What happened to De La Cruz during the FIFA Date period?

By: Rodrigo Lima

Flamengo had a sort of pre-season in the last few days due to the FIFA Date games. Given this situation, athletes who were not serving the national teams took the opportunity to regain even more physical conditioning, as is the case with De La Cruz.

A 'stamped figure' in the Uruguayan National Team's call-ups, De La Cruz was left out of this last FIFA Date. This absence served for the midfielder to have a break from the marathon of games and, with that, have more time to train physically and technically.

As reported by Coluna do Fla, De La Cruz fulfilled all the schedule set by the technical commission of Flamengo over these last few days. Thus, with this 'break' in the calendar, the number 18 is even more ready to be at Filipe Luís' disposal.

WHAT IS DE LA CRUZ'S SITUATION AT FLAMENGO?

De La Cruz has experienced highs and lows throughout the 2025 season. One of the main pieces of Flamengo's midfield, the Uruguayan had to stay away from the fields for a period due to a knee injury suffered in a game against Botafogo in May, for the Brasileirão.

Even before the World Cup, Flamengo set up a 'task force' to have De La Cruz available as quickly as possible. Thus, the club took the number 18 along with his teammates to the United States. During the first phase, the athlete could not recover in time. However, in the round of 16, the Uruguayan played for a few minutes in the match against Bayern Munich (GER).

WHAT IS THE GAP THAT DE LA CRUZ CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN FLAMENGO'S TEAM?

At the moment, Jorginho is doubtful for the next Flamengo game, as he is still recovering from discomfort in the posterior muscle of his left thigh. Thus, as happened in the match against Grêmio, De La Cruz can take advantage of the Italo-Brazilian's 'gap' and form a pair of midfielders alongside Saúl Ñíguez against Juventude.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT GAME?

With De La Cruz available, Flamengo faces Juventude this Sunday (14), for the 23rd round of the Brasileirão. The ball rolls at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Alfredo Jaconi Stadium, in Caxias do Sul. Thus, Coluna do Fla TV, as usual, shows the details of the match through YouTube, as well as website and social networks. Finally, Amazon Prime (streaming) broadcasts the confrontation.

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