LÉO ORTIZ ALREADY HAS A DATE TO ARRIVE AND TRAIN AT FLAMENGO - CHECK IT OUT

Flamengo returned to training on Tuesday (17) with full focus on the match against Chelsea, valid for the second round of the Club World Cup group stage. However, coach Filipe Luís still does not have full strength : left-back Alex Sandro remains out . Newly arrived at the club, Alex Sandro was spared from the debut against Espérance, from Tunisia, and also did not participate in the first training session on the field in preparation for the duel against the English team.

ALEX SANDRO IS OUT

According to information from the profile "Paparazzo Rubro-Negro", the player remained inside Stockton University, where the squad is concentrated in the United States, carrying out load control activities.   Flamengo's health and performance department understands that the defender would need a period of recovery, especially after the recent marathon between games for the club and the Brazilian national team.

The absence follows individual planning to avoid injuries in an athlete who, at 33 years of age, has a history of muscle problems in recent years. While Alex Sandro remains out, the positive news was Nicolás de la Cruz. The Uruguayan trained normally with the group and increased his chances of being included in the squad to face Chelsea.

A TURN OF THE WHEEL

The midfielder's last match was on May 18, in a 0-0 draw with Botafogo in the Brasileirão. Since then, he has been treating a knee sprain. The coaching staff is treating De la Cruz 's situation with caution. Despite his physical improvement and being cleared to play with the ball, Flamengo prefers not to rush his return to action in order to preserve the athlete for the rest of the season.

Even so, the number 18 is likely to be included in the match against the English. In the tournament's debut, the red-and-black midfield had Jorginho as a new addition. The youngster took advantage of De la Cruz's absence to gain a place in the starting lineup and showed good movement against Espérance. The Rio de Janeiro team won 2-0, with goals from Pedro and Bruno Henrique.

With no space in Europe and at Real Madrid, former Flamengo player Reinier may be moving to Brazil again . This is because the Ninho player has been targeted by Atlético-MG for the rest of the season.

According to information from GE, Atlético-MG has started contacts with Reinier and Real Madrid. The Minas Gerais club's idea is to have the player on loan for a year, until June 2026. It is worth remembering that the youngster's contract with the Spanish team runs until next year.

REINIER WILL NOT BE USED BY REAL MADRID

As of now, Real Madrid do not intend to have Reinier in the squad for the 2025/26 season. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that the midfielder will be loaned to another club again. It is worth remembering that he has just returned from a loan spell at Granada.

NUMBERS BELOW EXPECTED

Reinier played 25 matches on loan at Granada and only scored once. In addition, the former Flamengo player provided four assists for his teammates. However, the Spanish team decided not to buy him.

ABOUT THAT...

While Reinier tries to define his future, Flamengo remains focused on the season's competitions. Thus, Mais Querido focuses its attention on the match against Chelsea , next Friday (20), at 3 pm, for the second round of the group stage of the Club World Cup.

Thiago Maia may be leaving Brazilian football once again. According to journalist Lucas Dias, two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs have shown interest in the 28-year-old midfielder, currently playing for Internacional. The move comes amid an unresolved financial situation with Flamengo, a club that holds an important part of this story.

A NEW CHAPTER IN HISTORY

Even though he has not been part of the red-black squad since the beginning of 2024, Thiago still has direct links behind the scenes of two of the country's main clubs. This is because Inter has not yet paid off the debt related to the signing of the athlete at the beginning of the season. The Rio Grande do Sul club committed to paying 4.5 million euros (around R$28.6 million at the exchange rate at the time) for the purchase of the midfielder.

VALUES HAVE NOT YET BEEN RECEIVED

However, to this day, Flamengo has not received the amount and the issue has already reached the National Chamber for Dispute Resolution (CNRD) of the CBF. The red-black board attempted to speed up the process at the end of 2024, when the club officially announced the collection in the sports sphere. The expectation, at the time, was that the imbroglio would be resolved in the first half of 2025, which did not happen.

With a current contract at Beira-Rio, Thiago Maia has been used by Eduardo Coudet in occasional games, but he is no longer considered a non-negotiable player. The search for MLS clubs reflects this more flexible status, but it is hindered precisely by the pending deal with Flamengo. At the beginning of 2025, Santos approached Internacional to try to make the player's signing viable.

The São Paulo club even offered to take on the debt with Flamengo, in an attempt to speed up the outcome. However, the bank guarantees presented did not convince the red-black board. The refusal was direct. Flamengo did not accept the suggested transfer model and, as a result, the transfer to Vila Belmiro ended up being shelved.