Leonardo Jardim explains Flamengo player's plight: ‘Playing hurt’ | OneFootball

What did Flamengo coach Leonardo Jardim say about Saúl Ñíguez’s situation?

Coach Leonardo Jardim gave a press conference after Flamengo’s win over Estudiantes (ARG) in the Libertadores. In one of his remarks, the Portuguese manager spoke about the situation of Saúl Ñíguez. In his answer, the Flamengo coach said the Spanish midfielder is having difficulty adapting and is playing through pain.

— Saúl recently said that he’s having difficulties and that he’s playing through pain. I congratulated him after the game against Athletico because he sacrificed himself. He is not used to this level of demand — he said, before concluding:

— Today (Wednesday) I had De la Cruz, who did not play on Sunday. Paquetá also came on well. We have to value it when players show the right attitude. I hope we can get Saúl back because he has been sacrificing himself for the team — stressed Leonardo Jardim this Wednesday (20).

HOW IS SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ’S SITUATION AT FLAMENGO?

Saúl joined Flamengo midway through last season and ended up playing in Mengão’s decisive matches in 2025 while ‘at his limit.’ As a result, once the calendar came to an end, the player underwent surgery on his left heel, which kept him out of the start of the 2026 preseason.

Given this situation, Saúl still has not managed to get used to the intense routine of Brazilian football. Because of that, the club is handling the Spaniard’s situation with caution, seeking to prevent the player from suffering further injuries.

WAS SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ AVAILABLE FOR FLAMENGO VS ESTUDIANTES IN THE LIBERTADORES?

In the match between Flamengo and Estudiantes, Saúl Ñíguez was available to Leonardo Jardim on the bench. Without playing in the match, the midfielder watched Pedro score the winning goal for Mengão, which ‘stamped’ the team’s place in the Round of 16 of the Libertadores.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO’S NEXT MATCH?

With Saúl available, Flamengo return to action this Saturday (23) to face Palmeiras in the Brasileirão. In short, the ball rolls at 9 p.m. (Brasília time) at the Maracanã. As usual, Coluna do Fla TV will cover all the details of the clash 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.