PALESTINIAN COACH REGRETS DEFEAT TO FLAMENGO AND HIGHLIGHTS THE TEAM'S LACK OF EFFECTIVENESS

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.

Flamengo released the list of players for the duel against Internacional in the 20th round of the Brasileirão this Sunday (17) at 6:30 pm (Brasília time) and the returns of Nico De La Cruz and Danilo were confirmed by the club . With that, the players are once again available to coach Filipe Luís after a long inactivity.

CHECK THE LIST

• Goalkeepers: Rossi, Dyogo Alves, Matheus Cunha
• Fullbacks: Alex Sandro, Ayrton Lucas, Daniel Sales, Emerson Royal, Varela, Viña
• Defenders: Cleiton, Danilo, Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira,
• Midfielders: Allan, De La Cruz, Evertton Araújo, Jorginho,
• Midfielders: Arrascaeta, Carrascal, Saúl, Victor Hugo
• Attackers: Bruno Henrique, Everton Cebolinha, Juninho, Luiz Araújo, Michael, Pedro, Plata, Samuel Lino, Wallace Yan.

SURPRISES

Emerson Royal, who left the field in the first half against Internacional on Wednesday in the Libertadores Cup due to pain in his left ankle, is among those traveling to Porto Alegre for the Brasileirão match . Michael and Juninho also return to coach Filipe Luís's squad after a long absence. The number 23 has missed the Mais Querido's last three matches. The "little robot" has not been included in the squad since the draw with Botafogo on May 18.

SITUATION IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Flamengo leads the Brasileirão with 40 points, three ahead of second-place Cruzeiro, who still have a game in hand. In the 20th round, the Minas Gerais team visits Mirassol. With a victory, Mengão will remain the sole leader of the competition .

SCHEDULE AND TRANSMISSION

Flamengo and Internacional face off at 6:30 PM (Brasília time) at Beira-Rio. The match will be broadcast on Premiere (pay-per-view) and SporTV (pay-per-view). You can stay up-to-date with all the details of the match at Gazeta do Urubu.