Leonardo Jardim: Pedro and Arrascaeta can clearly play together | OneFootball

For Leonardo Jardim, it will be normal for Pedro and Arrascaeta to play together at Flamengo

Flamengo defeated Cruzeiro 2-0 in a match valid for the fifth round of the Brazilian Championship on Wednesday (11). After the match, Leonardo Jardim sent a message about Pedro and Arrascaeta playing together.

— It’s more than proven that they can play together. We had two highly competitive games. The one against Fluminense, which was a tough opponent because they press a lot, they have attitude. Cruzeiro is also of this kind. They showed competence. I have to preserve them in some situations so they don’t always have to play, he said, before adding:

— That’s where the other members of the squad come in, so we can create the best number of solutions for these two positions. Arrasca has enormous talent, but I also can’t overwork him because of that. There will be some games where he’ll have to play less time because we, Flamengo, need his quality as captain and also as a player, he concluded.

What is the main change?

In summary, Filipe Luís hardly ever started Pedro and Arrascaeta together at the beginning of 2026. However, the duo should be used more often under Leonardo Jardim’s command. That’s because the Portuguese coach has already made it clear that both are excellent options to provide solutions for Fla.

And now?

Now, with Pedro and Arrascaeta available, Flamengo remains focused on the Brasileirão. That’s because, on Saturday (14), the Most Beloved will face Botafogo. The derby will take place starting at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time), at Nilton Santos Stadium, for the sixth round of the tournament.

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