Flamengo's Libertadores rivals Cruzeiro confirm R$60m striker fracture | OneFootball

Cruzeiro announced Gabriel Pec’s injury this Thursday (23)

Flamengo and Cruzeiro will battle for a place in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals in a match scheduled for August. However, the Minas Gerais side’s preparation suffered a setback after confirmation of an injury sustained by newly signed forward Gabriel Pec.

Gabriel Pec, one of the club’s reinforcements for the rest of the season, has now become a doubt for the continental tournament. That is because the player had an injury confirmed this Thursday (23) and will have to undergo surgery.

READ CRUZEIRO’S STATEMENT:

“Cruzeiro informs that athlete Gabriel Pec underwent exams on the morning of this Thursday in Belo Horizonte, when a fracture of the tibia in his left leg was diagnosed, caused by the hard foul suffered in the second half of the match against Internacional. The recommended course of action is surgical treatment, which will be carried out by Cruzeiro’s doctors at Orizonti Hospital in the coming days. We wish him a speedy recovery so that he can return to the pitch as soon as possible, Pec,” the club wrote on social media.

HOW DID THE INJURY HAPPEN?

The incident took place during a Brazilian Championship match between Cruzeiro and Internacional at Beira-Rio Stadium on Wednesday (22). In the 13th minute of the second half, a challenge for the ball ended with a violent tackle by a defender from the Colorado side. Victor Gabriel struck Gabriel Pec hard on the shin, leading to the center-back’s red card after a review of the play.

The forward collapsed on the pitch with bleeding from his left leg. The medical team then treated him on the field before he was replaced by Bruno Rodrigues. As a result, Gabriel needed assistance to walk to the locker room and was unable to remain on the bench.

Subsequent exams confirmed a bone fracture in the affected area, in addition to stitches needed to contain the initial wound. As mentioned, the match marked the signing’s official debut as a starter wearing the sky-blue club’s shirt.

WHO IS GABRIEL PEC?

Gabriel Pec’s football journey began in Vasco’s youth ranks. In January 2024, the 25-year-old player moved to LA Galaxy in the United States. His performance in Major League Soccer produced 101 appearances, 43 goals, and 28 assists.

To sign Gabriel Pec, Cruzeiro paid 12 million dollars (62.2 million reais at the exchange rate at the time) in early July. As a result, the player signed a five-season contract.

WHEN ARE THE FLAMENGO VS CRUZEIRO LIBERTADORES MATCHES?

The end of the group stage led to the draw held by Conmebol to determine the knockout ties in the continental tournament. The draw paired Flamengo and Cruzeiro in a national derby in the round of 16.

The first match will take place on August 12 at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Mineirão. The place in the next round will be decided on the 19th of the same month, at the same time, at Maracanã. The Rubro-Negro supporters are expected to pack the stands to push the team toward the quarterfinals. Coluna do Fla is following all the behind-the-scenes developments closely, keeping fans informed about every detail before the ball starts rolling.

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