Dorival Júnior calls up Cruzeiro midfielder to replace Lucas Paquetá, ex-Flamengo

Flamengo takes to the field this Thursday (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), to face Estudiantes, at Maracanã, for the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. Coach Filipe Luís is betting on full strength to try to open up an advantage before the decision in Argentina.

Coach Filipe Luís is expected to field a full-strength squad against the Argentines: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, and Ayrton Lucas; Saúl, De La Cruz, and Arrascaeta; Plata, Pedro, and Samuel Lino. The game will be broadcast live on Flamengo TV and with exclusive footage on ESPN.

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RETURNS AND DEFAULTS

Defender Léo Ortiz, suspended in the last round of the Brasileirão, returns to the starting lineup. Bruno Henrique, who missed the match against Juventude, is also confirmed among the squad . The core of the team remains the same as that which has been playing under Filipe Luís.

Alex Sandro (calf) and Jorginho (thigh) are still recovering and are working individually on the field. Pulgar is also in the transition phase with physical therapy and is expected to return to training with the group only at the end of September.

Increasingly established as a Flamengo idol, Giorgian De Arrascaeta is enjoying one of the finest moments of his career. Since donning the iconic No. 10 jersey in December 2024 , the Uruguayan has taken center stage in the Flamengo midfield.

With 18 goals and 13 assists this season, he has already equaled his highest-scoring year since arriving in Rio de Janeiro and could achieve the best performance of his professional career. The midfielder will be one of coach Filipe Luís's main weapons in this Thursday's duel (18), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã , for the first leg of the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals.

RUBRO-NEGRO TEAM HAS IMPORTANT RETURNS

In addition to Arrascaeta's key role, Flamengo will have reinforcements in its squad. Léo Ortiz, Varela, and Bruno Henrique are available to face Estudiantes . Meanwhile, Alex Sandro and Jorginho remain doubtful and will have their fitness assessed shortly before the match.

STUDENTS HAVE DROPOUTS

Eduardo Domínguez's team will be without González Pirez and Edwuin Cetré, both injured. Even so, 27 players were selected for the match in Rio de Janeiro, and the final training session took place at Fluminense's training center in Rio's West Zone . The Argentine team reached the quarterfinals after defeating Cerro Porteño 1-0 on aggregate.

FLAMENGO X ESTUDIANTES LINEUPS

FLAMENGO (Coach: Filipe Luis): Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas (Viña); Saul, De La Cruz (Jorginho) and Arrascaeta; Plata, Pedro and Samuel Lino.

ESTUDIATES (Coach: Eduardo Domínguez): Muslera; Román Gómez, Santiago Núñez, Facundo Rodríguez and Santiago Arzamendia; Ascacíbar, Gabriel Neves, Amondarain and Medina; Tiago Palacios and Guido Carrillo.

Flamengo returns to the field this Thursday (18) to face Estudiantes (ARG) in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. The clash pits one of the most expensive squads in the tournament against one of the most financially modest.

According to data from the specialized website ' Transfermarkt ', Estudiantes has the second least valuable squad among those qualified for the quarterfinals, valued at 45.6 million euros (approximately R$283.8 million). Flamengo is at the other end of the list: it has the second most expensive squad in the competition, estimated at 195.1 million euros (approximately R$1.2 billion), behind only Palmeiras.

LIST OF MOST VALUABLE CLUBS

• Palmeiras – €212.15 million (R$1.324 billion)
• Flamengo – €195.10 million (R$1.217 billion)
• São Paulo – €89.85 million (R$560.5 million)
• River Plate (ARG) – €86.9 million (R$542.1 million)
• Racing (ARG) – €82.03 million (R$512 million)
• Vélez Sarsfield (ARG) – €50.78 million (R$316.9 million)
• Students – €45.48 million (R$283.8 million)
• LDU (EQU) – €16.7 million (R$104.2 million)

PATH OF FLAMENGO AND STUDENTS

Flamengo advanced to the quarterfinals after eliminating Internacional in the round of 16, winning both matches. Estudiantes secured their spot by defeating Cerro Porteño (Pará), winning away from home and drawing in La Plata . This Thursday's match promises to test the value of their investment against the Argentines' tradition.