De La Cruz's situation at Flamengo: Coluna do Fla's findings

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Coluna do Fla

·19 de julho de 2026

De La Cruz's situation at Flamengo: Coluna do Fla's findings

What is Flamengo’s plan for midfielder De La Cruz?

By: Rodrigo Lima

After Flamengo’s win over Olimpia (PAR) in a friendly on Friday (17), head coach Leonardo Jardim said there is no set timetable for De La Cruz’s return. In light of that statement, Coluna do Fla looked into the matter to find out the real situation of the Uruguayan.

Vídeos OneFootball

De La Cruz não tem qualquer tipo de lesão e treina normalmente junto os companheiros no Flamengo. De momento, o uruguaio está fazendo uma espécie de fortalecimento muscular, coisa que não fez durante o período que estava a serviço do Uruguai na Copa do Mundo. O retorno de De
– domingo, 19 de julho de 2026

According to reporting by Coluna do Fla journalist Rodrigo Lima, De La Cruz does not have any kind of injury and is training normally with his teammates at Flamengo. At the moment, the No. 18 is undergoing a kind of muscle-strengthening program aimed at preventing future injuries for the midfielder.

Also according to Coluna do Fla’s reporting, this strengthening work with De La Cruz is taking place because the player did not go through this procedure while he was with Uruguay at the World Cup. In short, the lack of this treatment was due to the short period of matches the national teams had during the competition.

WHAT IS THE EXPECTED TIMELINE FOR DE LA CRUZ’S RETURN TO FLAMENGO MATCHES?

Even though he is training with his teammates at Flamengo, De La Cruz’s return to the pitch remains uncertain. That is because the No. 18’s return to Rubro-Negro matches depends on the player’s physical evaluations, which are carried out daily at CT Ninho do Urubu.

HOW WAS DE LA CRUZ’S RETURN TO FLAMENGO AFTER THE WORLD CUP?

De La Cruz was one of Flamengo’s nine call-ups for the World Cup. After Uruguay were eliminated in the group stage, the midfielder was given a few days off before rejoining Rubro-Negro. Because he is still doing specific activities, the No. 18 did not even travel with the squad for the friendly against Olimpia in Brasília.

WHAT DID LEONARDO JARDIM SAY ABOUT DE LA CRUZ?

The uncertainty about De La Cruz’s physical condition arose because of Leonardo Jardim’s statement on Friday (17). In a press conference, the coach made it clear that he still does not know when the player will be back on the field for Flamengo.

Nico had a medical strength issue and is having problems. I still have to check on Luiz Araújo’s situation. We are not many, and because of that we have to work with the youngsters. I certainly believe Flamengo is working to strengthen the squad with two or three necessary additions and that no one leaves,” Leonardo Jardim concluded.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With De La Cruz still a doubt, Flamengo return to the field next Wednesday (22) to face Chapecoense, in the Brasileirão’s return. In short, the ball starts rolling at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Arena Condá. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover all the details of the match on YouTube, as well as on the website and social media.

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