CLUB PORTUGUES REJECTS FLAMENGO'S PROPOSAL BY HALF OF THE TEAM

Tite defined Flamengo and announced the 11 starters who will face Peñarol, this Thursday, at Maracanã, at 7pm. De la Cruz returns to the starting lineup in place of Léo Ortiz, and Alex Sandro and Plata were retained. The duel with the Uruguayans is the first between the teams in the quarter-finals of the Copa Conmebol Libertadores. Follow the Red and Black lineup:Rossi, Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Pulgar, De la Cruz, Gerson and Arrascaeta; Plata and Bruno Henrique.

Alex Sandro and Plata, debutants in last Sunday's classic, remain in the team after having good performances in the draw against Vasco. Gabigol is now out of the relationship due to fibrosis in the posterior muscle of his right thigh. Flamengo, in a statement, reported that the athlete did not suffer any injury in the region. Check it out:

"The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo informs that the athlete Gabriel Barbosa underwent tests that did not diagnose an injury to the posterior muscle of his right thigh. However, the Technical Committee opted for precaution and did not list him for the duel against Peñarol due to fibrosis in the region. Gabi is handed over to physiotherapists and physical trainers for the series of decisive games of the season."

Flamengo faces Peñarol (URU) in the first game of the CONMEBOL Libertadores quarter-finals and, here, you can watch the broadcast, live, with 2h30 of pre-game, interviews, the team's arrival at Maracanã and everything more.

Follow the match live here:

The Flamengo continues to pay attention to the transfer market, with an eye on reinforcements for the midfield. At the moment, the Rio club's main target is Carlos Alcaraz, a Southampton player. However, talks to acquire midfielder André Franco, from Porto, are also ongoing, showing Rubro-Negro's strategy of diversifying its options to reinforce the squad.

Porto, the club that holds the rights to André Franco , is willing to negotiate the player. Conversations indicate that the Portuguese team would like to receive 4 million euros (approximately R$24 million) for the midfielder's transfer. This value is considered viable by current market standards, especially for a young player with growth potential.

In addition to Flamengo, André Franco also attracts interest from other clubs, including Corinthians and La Liga teams, which shows that the midfielder is on the rise in the market. Even with this competition, the player sees Flamengo as a "different and special" option, which could be a decisive factor in negotiations.

The preference of Flamengo by Carlos Alcaraz does not mean that conversations by André Franco are in the background. On the contrary, the Rio club has shown a real interest in securing the Portuguese player, aware that the competition is fierce. Flamengo seeks to strengthen the midfield with players who bring quality and versatility, characteristics that both Alcaraz and Franco possess.

The negotiations with Southampton for Carlos Alcaraz have proven to be complex, and that is why Flamengo maintains the options open. The English club has not shown much interest in releasing the player, which could make the transfer difficult to complete. Given this, Rubro-Negro keeps André Franco on its radar, seeing him as a strategic opportunity if the agreement for Alcaraz does not materialize.