Botafogo's coach says that working time made a difference in the defeat to Flamengo

Left-back Alex Sandro is expected to return to action on September 18, when Flamengo faces Estudiantes, from Argentina, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores, at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).

According to information from SBT Rio journalist Venê Casagrande, the player is being prepared by the medical department to be available for Filipe Luís. Besides him, the coach also has Ayrton Lucas and Matías Viña as options for the position.

DETAILS OF THE INJURY SUFFERED

In Flamengo 's 8-0 rout of Vitória, Alex Sandro had to be substituted in the 24th minute of the first half after experiencing pain in his left calf . Uruguayan Viña came on in his place and completed the match.

In an official statement, the club explained the situation: " Athlete Alex Sandro, substituted in the first half of the match against Vitória, underwent an MRI scan . The results revealed a muscle injury in his left calf. The player has already begun treatment under the supervision of Flamengo's medical department," the team reported.

INJURY ALSO PREVENTED CALL-UP

The severity of the injury also forced Alex Sandro out of Carlo Ancelotti's squad for the Brazilian national team. In the full-back's absence, Brazil defeated Chile 3-0 and now prepares to face Bolivia at altitude in the next round.

Flamengo officially announced Gerson 's departure on July 4, 2025, after Zenit of Russia paid the player's release clause . Since then, some Flamengo fans have questioned whether the midfielder was satisfied with the move. Teammate Douglas Santos, full-back at the Russian club, assured that the "Joker" is happy with the new phase of his career.

" Zenit is a great club that welcomes foreign players very well. I've been there for six years, and they've been improving this every year. They're even learning Portuguese to welcome Brazilians. Gerson was definitely welcomed and is happy ," said Douglas Santos in an interview in the mixed zone.

Introduced shortly after the FIFA Club World Cup, Gerson has already played six matches wearing the number 9 jersey for Zenit. So far, he has yet to score or provide any assists. The midfielder has started four matches, totaling 341 minutes on the pitch.

GERSON'S VICTORIOUS TRAJECTORY

Before his transfer, Gerson had spent more than two years in his second stint at Gávea. In total, he played 253 matches, scoring 19 goals and providing 34 assists. During his time there, he won major titles: a Libertadores, two Brazilian Championships, a Copa do Brasil, four Cariocas, three Brazilian Super Cups, and a Recopa Sudamericana.

AMOUNT OF TERMINATION FINE

Gerson 's departure was for a fee of €25 million (approximately R$160 million). The sum represented one of the largest transfers Mengão has received in recent years, but it didn't lessen the weight of the departure of one of the team's technical leaders.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected five athletes from the youth ranks of Rio de Janeiro clubs to participate in the Brazilian national team's training session in Teresópolis. Among those selected is Léo Nanneti, Flamengo's goalkeeper, who shone in the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup victory over Barcelona.

During a press conference, four-time world champion and current goalkeeping coach for the Brazilian national team, Taffarel , made a point of joking and praising the young Flamengo player. " I didn't like him. I didn't like him because in the first training session he asked me to put gloves on him (laughs) ," he said before concluding.

" You know those gloves that are really tight? You can put one on and you can't put the other on. He said, 'Professor, can you put the glove on with me?' I said, 'Get out of here now' (laughs). I'm a coach, I'm not a glove fitter," he said in a relaxed tone.

ADMIRATION OF TAFAREL BY YOUNG MAN

Tafarel then revealed his admiration for the youngster: " He's a really cool kid. I didn't even realize he was the goalkeeper in that final (of the U-20 World Cup). I was really happy he came here with us; he has great potential. I liked him, especially because he's an 18-year-old kid, but he already has a real professional attitude. I'm sure he'll bring a lot of joy to Flamengo," he concluded.

RED-BLACK PROMISE

Léo Nanneti, who came through Flamengo 's youth ranks since the U-9s, is considered one of the club's brightest prospects. A key player in the U-20 World Cup final, the goalkeeper saved two penalty kicks against Barcelona , securing the title for Mengão.