Against Criciúma in the Brasileirão, Flamengo will have 7 absences

Flamengo produced one of its most dominant performances of the season by thrashing Vitória 8-0 this Monday (25) at Maracanã. After the show on the field , the players were given Tuesday (26) off , as planned by the coaching staff.

The squad's return is scheduled for this Wednesday (27), at 9:30 am (Brasília time), at Ninho do Urubu. From then on, coach Filipe Luís will begin preparing for the team's next match, against Grêmio, on Sunday (31).

The coach will have four days of training to fine-tune details and maintain the high level of performance shown against the Bahian team. This should be coach Filipe Luís's last long break from training after the CBF changed the Brasileirão schedule.

WHEN AND WHERE DOES FLAMENGO X GRÊMIO TAKE PLACE?

The match will be played on Sunday (31), at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. The teams face each other at different moments in the table . Flamengo is the leader of the Brasileirão, with 46 points, while Grêmio occupies 14th place, with 24 points.

WHERE TO WATCH THE GAME

Flamengo vs. Grêmio will be broadcast on Globo (free-to-air TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view) , with expectations for another packed Maracanã stadium. Fans can stay up to date with all the details of the match and Mengão's day-to-day activities at Gazeta do Urubu.

Flamengo recently made the largest investment in its history in a single transfer window, spending almost R$300 million on the signing of four players. Two of them, Saúl and Samuel Lino, have already established themselves as starters and shone in the 8-0 rout of Vitória on Monday (25). Meanwhile, Royal and Carrascal are still going through an adaptation period, but receive frequent praise from coach Filipe Luís.

SALES AND HIRING POLICY

The club's board of directors does not intend to sell any more starters in the window that ends on September 2nd. Negotiations will only be considered for players who have lost their place. On the other hand, the club is not planning any new signings at this time . This information comes from the 'GE' portal.

In 2024, as a strategy to balance its cash flow, Flamengo let go of key players like Fabrício Bruno, Alcaraz, Wesley, and Gerson. For 2026, president Bap's order is different: the priority is to maintain the starting lineup, even in the face of European pressure .

Defenders Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira, for example, are already attracting interest from European clubs. Flamengo is initially considering releasing them, unless they pay their release clause . Furthermore, the club is considering bringing in a young, starting defender to alternate with the duo and Danilo, increasing internal competition.

RENEWALS IN FOCUS

Alongside protecting its squad, Flamengo is also moving to renew contracts. After extending Varela's contract, the club opened negotiations to extend the stay of coach Filipe Luís . The trend is toward continuity, as both parties are interested.

Another priority is Arrascaeta . The midfielder began talks in the first half of the year, but negotiations were frozen, as his contract runs until the end of 2026. The Uruguayan, however, increased his value even further by becoming the most decisive player of the season, with 16 goals and 13 assists. Rossi and Pedro, who have contracts until December 2027, have also expressed interest in renewing their contracts with the club.

Flamengo invested 22 million euros (approximately R$ 143 million), plus bonuses for targets, to sign Samuel Lino. For coach Filipe Luís , the amount paid does not reflect the real importance of the player , who shone in the 8-0 rout over Vitória , on Monday (25), in the 21st round of the Brasileirão.

Filipe Luís on Samuel Lin at Flamengo: "He's not worth what we paid for him, he's worth double or triple"

"Regarding Lino, I don't think he's worth what we paid for him; he's worth double or triple. He's a fantastic player. And if you look at the market prices for key wingers, you'll see they're on a different level . Having a player of this caliber, who was at Atlético Madrid, was a starter at the World Cup, and chose to come to Flamengo ," the coach emphasized.

Filipe Luís also emphasized Samuel Lino 's importance to the squad: " It's a huge privilege to have him here . The goals don't matter—of course, they do for him—but we know what he can offer, and he's very important to the team. He even raises the bar for Cebolinha and Michael, who are competing with him for a position."

SAMUEL LINO'S PARTICIPATION IN THE GOALS AGAINST VITÓRIA

Samuel Lino was decisive in the match:

• 1st goal: scored Flamengo's first goal early in the match.
• 3rd goal: assisted Arrascaeta before half-time.
• 4th goal: he started the final stage leaving Pedro in a good position to score.
• 5th goal: scored again, after a cross from Varela.
• 6th goal: provided another assist for Pedro to complete his direct participation in goals.

FLAMENGO'S SITUATION IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

With the victory, Rubro-Negro reached 46 points, maintaining a four-point advantage over second-place Palmeiras . Flamengo returns to the field on Sunday (31), at 4 pm, at Maracanã, against Grêmio, for the 22nd round of the Brazilian Championship.