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Since the victory over Fluminense on July 20, Flamengo's defense has faced a challenge in the absence of Danilo. The defender has missed six consecutive games, including the Copa do Brasil round of 16, but is showing significant progress in his recovery and is expected to return to training with the squad later this week.

Despite the progress, his participation against Internacional, this Wednesday (13), at Maracanã, for the Libertadores , is ruled out. The technical committee opts for caution, aiming to avoid the risk of new injury.

RETURN IS EXPECTED IN THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

The internal expectation is that Danilo will be available for the match against Colorado, valid for the Brazilian Championship, next Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm, at Beira-Rio. If the return is confirmed, the defender's presence will bring more stability to the defensive system and allow strategic rest for Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira, who have been playing without rest since his injury.

Without Danilo, the central defender duo has started all six recent games , amassing 540 minutes of unsubstituted play. Their teammate's return is seen as crucial to relieving the strain and offering coach Filipe Luís new options.

FLAMENGO FACED AN INTENSE SEQUENCE

During the period without the defender, Flamengo faced crucial challenges. In addition to the Copa do Brasil match against Atlético-MG, which ended in elimination, the team played four Brasileirão matches, winning three and drawing one.

On Monday afternoon (11), Conmebol confirmed that the 2025 Copa Libertadores da América final will be played at the Monumental Stadium in Lima, Peru, on November 29. This will be the second time that the venue hosts a tournament decision, after having hosted Flamengo 's historic victory over River Plate in 2019.

The arena, which belongs to the University Club and seats approximately 80,000 spectators , was chosen by the organization after the Peruvian capital had already been confirmed as the host city in April. Brasília and Montevideo were also in the running, but were left out of the final selection.

HISTORY OF SINGLE FINALS

2019: Flamengo 2 x 1 River Plate (Monumental, Lima)

2020: Palmeiras 1 x 0 Santos (Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro)

2021: Palmeiras 2 x 1 Flamengo (Centenary, Montevideo)

2022: Flamengo 1 x 0 Athletico-PR (Monumental de Guayaquil)

2023: Fluminense 2 x 1 Boca Juniors (Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro)

2024: Botafogo 3 x 1 Atlético-MG (Monumental of Núñez, Buenos Aires)

2025: Monumental de Lima

FLAMENGO AND INTERNACIONAL

The road to the final in Peru begins this Wednesday (13), when Flamengo and Internacional face each other in the first leg of the round of 16, at 9:30 pm, at Maracanã. The return leg is scheduled for the 20th, at Beira-Rio. Between these two clashes for the Libertadores , the teams also face each other for the Brazilian Championship.

Former player Felipe Melo, currently a commentator for Grupo Globo , predicted the outcome of the Copa Libertadores da América and pointed out that the champion of the edition could come from the clash between Flamengo and Internacional. During his participation in the program Fechamento, on SporTV, last Sunday (10), the former midfielder also highlighted Botafogo and Palmeiras as strong contenders for the continental title.

"Saying who will beat the champion is very complicated. Who has the best chance? For me, Flamengo, Botafogo, and Palmeiras. Botafogo is growing, and they've got players coming in who are already making a difference. And Palmeiras always comes through. I think we'll indeed have another Brazilian final," he declared.

SWITCHING BETWEEN BRAZILIANS

Felipe Melo emphasized that, given the crossover of the knockout stages, the team that qualifies from the duel between Flamengo and Colorado will have a good chance of reaching the final: "I think whoever gets past Flamengo and Inter will go on to win the final. Based on what's happening, I'd put those three— Palmeiras, Flamengo, and Botafogo—as the ones with the best chances ," he stated.

On the same side of the bracket, in addition to the two Brazilian teams, are Cerro Porteño-PAR, Estudiantes-ARG, Fortaleza, Racing-ARG, Peñarol-URU, and Vélez Sarsfield-ARG. For the commentator, this scenario increases the prospects of a Brazilian team advancing to the final.

NATIONAL CONFRONTATION

The first game of the round of 16 between Flamengo and Internacional takes place this Wednesday (13), at 9:30 pm , at Maracanã. The return match will be played on the 20th, at Beira-Rio.