Without Gerson, Filipe Luís has to find an alternative for Flamengo x Botafogo

Internacional fans promise to turn Beira-Rio into a real cauldron for the second leg of the round of 16 of the Libertadores . In just over two hours, all available tickets for the match against Flamengo, scheduled for Wednesday (20), were sold . The information was confirmed by the Rio Grande do Sul portal Revista Colorada.

The sale, initially exclusive to members of the Rio Grande do Sul club, highlighted the high expectations in Porto Alegre . The projected attendance is close to 50,000 Colorado fans for the decisive match. The red-and-black fans will also fill the area designated for visitors.

THREE MEETINGS IN EIGHT DAYS

Before the Libertadores game, Flamengo and Internacional will face each other this Sunday (17), for the Brazilian Championship, also at Beira-Rio. The match will be a thermometer for what Filipe Luís' team will find days later , both on the field and in the pressure of the stands.

For Flamengo , facing packed stadiums is nothing new. The Rubro-Negro, accustomed to large crowds, played the first leg in front of nearly 70,000 people at Maracanã , winning 1-0 with a goal from Bruno Henrique after a superb cross from Luiz Araújo.

DATES AND TIMES

• Brasileirão: Internacional x Flamengo – Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), at Beira-Rio.
• Libertadores: Internacional x Flamengo – Wednesday (20), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), also at Beira-Rio.

For this Sunday's match, Filipe Luís named all available players, with the exception of midfielder Erick Pulgar, who is still recovering. De La Cruz and Danilo are returning from knee and right thigh injuries , respectively. Meanwhile, Michael returns to the squad for the first time since May 18, in the 0-0 draw with Botafogo.

Flamengo has important reinforcements in the coming days. With De La Cruz, Danilo and Emerson Royal on coach Filipe Luís' list of players for the game against Internacional this Sunday (17), Mengão now has a practically empty medical department. But Erick Pulgar's situation still deserves attention .

A regular starter for Filipe Luís, the Chilean midfielder has been out of action since the FIFA Club World Cup. The good news is that his recovery is progressing well, and a return to training is expected. Pulgar is expected to return to action in the second half of September .

AND FOR THE LAWNS?

His return to action will depend on his fitness after a long layoff. Even if he doesn't return until October, the midfielder will still have a good run of matches , as the season doesn't end until December 21st.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Pulgar fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the 4-2 loss to Bayern Munich in Orlando, Flamengo 's final World Cup match. He underwent surgery on July 3 and, after two weeks of rest, began physical therapy at Ninho do Urubu.

HOW IS YOUR PULGAR NOW?

The Chilean is no longer in pain and has been monitoring his progress through imaging tests. Between the 10th and 12th week after surgery, he will undergo a CT scan to assess fracture healing and then be cleared to safely return to training . After that, he will undergo further steps: running on the field, ball work, release from physical therapy, and finally, reintegration into the squad.

Flamengo is preparing to face Internacional this Sunday (17), for the 20th round of the Brazilian Championship. On Friday afternoon (15), Arrascaeta gave a press conference and avoided commenting on a possible contract renewal with the club.

Arrascaeta on renewing his contract with Flamengo: "At this moment, I wouldn't like to talk about it"

When asked about the matter, the number 10 replied: "At this moment, I wouldn't like to talk about it." The Uruguayan's contract with the club runs until December 2026, and Flamengo only intends to begin negotiations to renew his contract in early 2026. Starting in June of next year, Arrascaeta will be able to sign a pre-contract with any club for free if he doesn't reach an agreement to stay.

ARRASCAETA'S HIGHLIGHTS AT FLAMENGO

Since joining Flamengo in 2019, Arrascaeta has established himself as a key player . Initially wearing the number 14 jersey, he took on the number 10 after Gabigol's departure. To date, he has scored 87 goals and provided 98 assists in 328 matches, directly contributing to 185 goals for the club.

In the 2025 season, the Uruguayan is the team's top scorer, with 14 goals and nine assists in 38 games, adding 23 direct participations in goals so far , which made coach Filipe Luís treat the Uruguayan as the 'best player in Brazil' in a recent press conference.

NEXT APPOINTMENT

Flamengo returns to the field this Sunday (17), at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), against Internacional, at Beira-Rio Stadium, for the 20th round of the Brasileirão. The match will be broadcast live on Premiere, on pay-per-view . Mengão is the leader of the Championship with 40 points, three more than Cruzeiro and one game less than the Minas Gerais team.