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Striker Michael is facing a difficult period at Flamengo and may be close to a change of scenery. Not in coach Filipe Luís's plans, the player is awaiting an offer from Al-Duhail of Qatar, which is expected to resume negotiations in January. His staff believes that playing outside of Brazil is the best path for his career.

Michael hasn't played since June 24, when he came on for 31 minutes against Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup. Despite recovering from ankle pain and training normally , he hasn't even been named on the bench.

In the last transfer window, Mengão included the striker on the list of available players. The only concrete offer came from Al-Ula, offering a one-year loan for $2.5 million with an option to buy at the end, but it was rejected by the Flamengo player himself.

OPPORTUNITY IN AL-DUHAIL

Al-Duhail is interested in signing Michael for the 2026 season, betting he can regain the prominence he had at Al-Hilal before returning to Brazil. The team expects an official offer to be made early next year.

FILIPE LUÍS PRIORITIZES OTHER NAMES

At Mengão, Michael is finding it difficult to play, as Bruno Henrique, Pedro, Plata, and Wallace Yan have been prioritized up front. The coach stated that the selections are purely technical and that the striker maintains good performance in training, but opportunities remain limited.

Flamengo's football director, José Boto , revealed previously unpublished details about the signing of midfielder Saúl Ñíguez. In an interview with Portuguese newspaper Record , the director said he had to stay up all night to get the player off a private flight from a Turkish club and secure his arrival in Rio de Janeiro.

According to Boto , the negotiations faced an additional complication: the time difference between Brazil and Spain. " When you do business with Europe, you have the time zone issue. In this case, it was a five-hour time difference to Spain, and that forced me, right after a game, to stay up all night to close the deal at almost five in the morning in Brazil," he said.

SAÚL ÑÍGUEZ HAS ALREADY BECOME HOLDER

Even without scoring his first goal for the Red-Blacks, the Spanish midfielder has already established himself as a solid presence in the team. He has played 13 games, the first three as a substitute and the following ten as a starter , earning two cautions and one assist. His performance has helped solidify the central midfield.

LOSS IN THE LAST GAME

Midfielder Saúl Ñíguez was left out of the match against Bahia last Sunday (5), due to pain in his left ankle. Despite the absence, the coaching staff is not afraid that the player will be left out of the team's next match.

FLAMENGO X BOTAFOGO

With Saúl available, Flamengo returns to action on October 15th, facing Botafogo at 7:30 pm at Nilton Santos Stadium in the 28th round of the competition. The match will be broadcast exclusively on Premiere (a cable channel).

Flamengo returns to action on October 15th , following the FIFA World Cup break. During the period without matches, between the 6th and 14th, coach Filipe Luís is closely monitoring the recovery of midfielder Erick Pulgar , who could be the team's biggest boost for the derby against Botafogo.

The Chilean is recovering from a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot, suffered during the Club World Cup against Bayern Munich. He has not played for the Red-Blacks since then . The rehabilitation process, monitored by the medical department and the coaching staff, has shown positive progress.

Pulgar is already undergoing physical reconditioning activities and has been participating in specific sessions at Ninho do Urubu, focusing on regaining rhythm and strengthening muscles. The number 5's presence in the derby is considered an internal priority , but the club is taking precautions to avoid the risk of further injury.

RIGHT FOOT INJURY

A fractured fifth metatarsal is considered one of the most delicate injuries in professional soccer , requiring recovery time and intensive monitoring. Similar cases have occurred with high-profile players, such as Neymar, in 2018.

Therefore, Flamengo is avoiding an early return, prioritizing a full recovery. Pulgar is expected to return to action in October, gradually being reinstated to the starting lineup depending on the medical department's approval.

FLAMENGO AND BOTAFOGO

Flamengo's next match will be against Botafogo on October 15th at 7:30 pm (Brasília time) at Nilton Santos Stadium, in the 28th round of the Brazilian Championship. The match is considered crucial and could directly impact the battle for the top of the table.