Caio Ribeiro, former Flamengo praises athlete of the most beloved "Best of Brazil ...."

Leader of the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (03) to face Ceará, away from home, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Arena Castelão. With that, Mais Querido officially announced the lineup of coach Filipe Luís for the confrontation .

CHECK THE LINEUP

Rossi; Emerson Royal, Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Evertton Araújo, Jorginho, Arrascaeta; Plata, Samuel Lino and Bruno Henrique.

Filipe Luís will have back the players who were rested in the Copa do Brasil match against Atlético-MG . Arrascaeta , who wasn't even included in the squad, and Jorginho, who didn't come off the bench, will return to the starting lineup this Sunday.

Even with little time to train with his teammates, Samuel Lino will make his first start for Flamengo against Ceará. The striker impressed on Thursday (31) against Atlético-MG in the Copa do Brasil and coach Filipe Luís did not hesitate to put him in the starting 11.

EMBARRASSMENTS

Among the absentees are Danilo, who remains off the roster, and Luiz Araújo, who was left out due to fitness monitoring . Erick Pulgar, still recovering from an injury, is also out, as are Pedro and Wallace Yan, both suspended. Another absence is goalkeeper Matheus Cunha, diagnosed with patellar tendonitis in his left knee.

THE GAME

The clash between Flamengo and Ceará for the 18th round of the Brasileirão is this Sunday (3) at 6:30 pm (Brasília time) at Arena Castelão, in Fortaleza. The match will be broadcast by Record, on Open TV, by CazéTV, on YouTube, and by Premiere , on pay-per-view.

Leader of the Brazilian Championship, Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (03) to face Ceará, away from home, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Arena Castelão. The match will be broadcast by Record, on Open TV, by CazéTV, on YouTube, and by Premiere, on pay-per-view .

CHECK OUT THE LIVE CONFRONTATION WITH IMAGES

PROBABLE LINEUPS

With only one player missing for the match, Ceará is expected to field a full-strength squad. The likely starting lineup includes : Bruno Ferreira; Fabiano Souza, Marcos Victor, Willian Machado, and Matheus Bahia; Richardson, Dieguinho, and Galeano; Lourenço, Pedro Henrique, and Pedro Raul. Coach: Léo Condé.

Flamengo should field a full-strength team , maintaining the idea of prioritizing the Brazilian Championship. The tendency is for Mengão to start the game with: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro (Ayrton Lucas); Allan (Evertton Araújo), Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Gonzalo Plata, Samuel Lino and Bruno Henrique. Coach: Filipe Luís

SHORTAGES AND DOUBTS

Ceará has only one confirmed absence: defender Luiz Otávio, who is injured. Flamengo will be without Erick Pulgar, who is recovering from a fractured right foot , Danilo, who strained his right thigh, and Michael, who is experiencing ankle pain. Luiz Araújo was rested for load control. Pedro and Wallace Yan are suspended for accumulated bookings. De La Cruz remains doubtful.

After a low-key stint in Europe, Reinier, a product of Ninho do Urubu, is back in Brazil. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the attacking midfielder has already said goodbye to Real Madrid and has reached an agreement with Atlético-MG . The player is expected in Belo Horizonte in the coming days, where he will undergo medical examinations and sign a contract . The contract will be for four and a half years, the newspaper revealed.

NEGOTIATIONS WITH GALO HAVE DRAGGED ON SINCE JUNE

Talks between Reinier and Atlético-MG began in June, when the Minas Gerais club launched an inquiry and received a positive response from the player. The initial proposal, a loan with an option to buy, was met with Real Madrid's demand for financial compensation.

As the window progressed, negotiations resumed and culminated in a definitive agreement. In recent weeks, the player had been training with Real Madrid's B team , but according to Marca, he was no longer part of the club's plans.

REINIER WAS CONSIDERED BY FLAMENGO

Before signing with Atlético-MG— Flamengo 's opponent in the Copa do Brasil round of 16—Reinier was speculated as a potential reinforcement for the Rubro-Negro. According to journalist Mauro Cezar Pereira, the Rio de Janeiro club made an inquiry but backed off due to the high costs of the deal.

The decision not to move forward involved not only the contract value, but also the high commissions demanded by the player's representatives— deemed incompatible with the player's current situation . As a result, Flamengo turned its attention to Lucas Beltrán, from Fiorentina.

A PROMISE THAT WAS NOT KEPT IN EUROPE

Reinier arrived at Real Madrid in 2020, surrounded by high expectations, but failed to establish himself at the Spanish club. Unlike Vini Jr., also formerly of Flamengo, and Rodrygo, the midfielder never even played a match at the Santiago Bernabéu .

Over the past five years, he has spent time on loan at Borussia Dortmund, Girona, Granada, and, most recently, Frosinone in Italy— where he enjoyed his best spell since leaving Brazil . In total, he has played 105 matches, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.