Filipe Luís avoids criticizing Flamengo's calendar and sees a positive side to many games

The clash between Juventude and Flamengo takes place this Sunday (14), at 4 pm (Brasília time), at the Alfredo Jaconi Stadium, in Caxias do Sul (RS). The live broadcast will be carried out by the Amazon Prime streaming service, with narration by Galvão Bueno.

Coach Filipe Luís should send Rossi onto the field; Emerson Royal, Danilo, Léo Pereira and Ayrton Lucas; De La Cruz, Saúl and Arrascaeta; Luiz Araújo, Samuel Lino (Cebolinha) and Pedro.

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TEAM CLASSIFICATION

Flamengo leads the Brazilian Championship with 47 points . Juventude, meanwhile, sits in the relegation zone with 21 points and is looking to rally at home to try and climb out of the bottom of the table.

PLAYER RETURNS

Arrascaeta, Viña, Carrascal, and Samuel Lino , who were with their national teams during the FIFA World Cup, trained normally and are confirmed for the game. Gonzalo Plata, although he traveled with the group, is expected to start on the bench, as he only performed gym activities after being released by Flamengo .

Renan Lodi 's future has once again become a topic of discussion in Brazilian football following his tumultuous departure from Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal. The 27-year-old full-back unilaterally terminated his contract , claiming he had been barred from playing in the Saudi Arabian Championship. In response, the club announced it intends to take legal action against the player.

Lodi, a free agent, was quickly linked to Brazilian clubs, but Flamengo has no intention of entering the fray. The board believes the squad is already well-stocked at left-back and there's no need for reinforcements at this time.

Coach Filipe Luís currently has Ayrton Lucas as a solid starter and Matías Viña as an immediate alternative. Additionally, Alex Sandro is in the final stages of recovery and should expand the coach's options soon. The arrival of another full-back could create a surplus of players in Flamengo 's defense.

FINANCIAL ISSUE

Another factor that influenced the decision not to move forward with negotiations was the financial aspect. Renan Lodi has a history of high salaries since his time at Atlético de Madrid , Nottingham Forest, and Al-Hilal. Investing in a player with this profile is seen by the board as unnecessary in the club's current situation.

LODI OPENS UP ABOUT EXIT

Meanwhile, Renan Lodi publicly defends his decision to leave Al-Hilal. In a letter posted on social media, the full-back stated that he could not be prevented from practicing his profession and that he tried, unsuccessfully, to resolve the situation amicably with the Arab club.

After gaining prominence for the Brazilian national team against Chile, the right-back was once again a standout performer for Roma . Expectations for the former Flamengo player's performance are rising with each round of the Italian Championship.

Since arriving at the Italian capital club, Wesley has had a strong start, even finding the net on his debut . Since then, the Brazilian has been putting together strong performances , solidifying his place in the squad and attracting the attention of the European press.

This Sunday (14), even with Roma's 1-0 defeat to Torino, with a goal from Giovanni Simeone, Wesley was one of the main names of the Giallorossi team. The player created the best attacking opportunities and received praise from sports analysts.

HIGH SCORE ON SOFASCORE

According to the specialized portal Sofascore, Wesley received a rating of 7.0 , being the third best for Roma in the match, behind only Soulé (7.6) and goalkeeper Mile Svilar (7.1). The right-back shows constant improvement in Italy and the expectation is that he will continue to improve .

ABOUT THAT...

The duel between Flamengo and Juventude takes place this Sunday (14), at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Alfredo Jaconi Stadium , in Caxias do Sul. The match is valid for the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship Series A.