Flamengo directors support Tite to spare players in the Brasileirão

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:

Last Sunday (15), Flamengo and Vasco drew 1-1, at Maracanã, in a match valid for the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship. The result, although frustrating for the red and blacks, who dominated much of the match, kept them eight points behind leader Botafogo.

Mais Querido entered the field imposing his pace and controlling the actions for most of the game. The red-black goal was scored by Gerson, who has been standing out in recent matches. However, CRF conceded the draw in the final minutes, which prevented a more significant approach to the classification table.

Even with the difference in points for Botafogo, the technical committee, led by Tite, devised a strategy focused on keeping the team competitive until the last rounds. According to information from the Coluna do Fla portal, the objective is to arrive "alive" in the fight for the title in the final five rounds. Matheus Bachi, assistant coach, believes that the recent good performance against Bahia and Vasco could be an indication that the team is on the right track to fight for the top again.

While trying to get closer to the leaders in the Brasileirão, Mengão is already preparing for the next challenge in the Libertadores. The team will face Peñarol, at Maracanã, in the quarterfinals of the continental tournament. The Rio team is looking for a good result at home before traveling to Uruguay for the second leg next week.