Zico praises Arrascaeta and talks about Flamengo’s new 10: ‘plays with any shirt’

Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (13) to face Internacional, in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores. The match will be at Maracanã, and coach Filipe Luís should field Luiz Araújo in place of Arrascaeta , who is suspended.

PROBABLE LINEUP

With the absence of the number 10, the tendency is for Filipe Luís to send a Flamengo team onto the field with: Rossi; Varela (Emerson Royal), Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Allan; Luiz Araújo, Plata, Samuel Lino and Pedro.

The main news will be the return of Jorginho , who returns to the team after serving a suspension in the Brasileirão victory over Mirassol . Arrascaeta, on the other hand, will be out due to a backlog of yellow cards in the continental competition.

CONFIRMED SHORTAGES

In addition to the Uruguayan midfielder, Flamengo will be without Erick Pulgar (right foot surgery), De La Cruz (left knee injury), and Danilo (right thigh injury). Expectations also lie with the squad list. With an excess of players on the roster, coach Filipe Luís has been cutting key players from matches.

MATCH DETAILS

The duel between Flamengo and Internacional starts at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), with live broadcast on Rede Globo, on open TV, and on Disney+, via streaming . The return match is scheduled for next Wednesday (20), at Beira-Rio Stadium, in Porto Alegre.

Flamengo remains attentive to the transfer market and is seeking reinforcements to complete its squad before the end of the transfer window. One name that could emerge as an opportunity is Aleksandar Mitrovic , the Serbian national team's top scorer, who is expected to terminate his contract with Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and be free to sign with another club.

The Saudi club plans to release Mitrovic due to the excess of foreign players in its squad for next season . The decision comes after the signing of Uruguayan Darwin Núñez , formerly of Liverpool. To terminate the contract, Al Hilal will need to pay the termination fee stipulated in the contract.

WHO IS MITROVIC?

Mitrovic emerged as a young player at Anderlecht in Belgium, attracting the attention of major English clubs. In 2015, he was signed by Newcastle and later transferred to Fulham , where he established himself as an attacking force. In 2023, the striker signed with Al Hilal.

FLAMENGO SITUATION

Flamengo 's current squad features two center forwards: Pedro and Juninho. Pedro has been a starter for Filipe Luís's team, while Juninho hasn't won over the fans and could be traded if he receives an offer.

In this transfer window, the club has already invested around R$280 million in signings , bringing in Saúl Ñíguez and Samuel Lino (formerly of Atlético Madrid), Emerson Royal (formerly of AC Milan), and Jorge Carrascal (formerly of Dynamo Moscow). Despite not having to spend on player rights, Mitrovic's signing is seen as expensive due to the high salary he is expected to command.

After being acquitted in the trial for alleged involvement in sports betting, Lucas Paquetá has once again attracted interest from major English clubs . Among them is Newcastle, which has included the former Flamengo player on its list of potential signings for the current season.

According to British newspaper iPaper, Newcastle is considering signing the midfielder , currently at West Ham. Paquetá is highly regarded by club observers, who plan to formalize a proposal before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

CONTRACTUAL SITUATION

Paquetá's contract with West Ham runs until June 2027, with the option to extend for another season . Despite this, the Hammers' board is looking to restructure the squad and has not ruled out negotiating the Brazilian.

The midfielder was investigated for allegedly facilitating the receipt of yellow cards to benefit sports betting . After two years of proceedings, the English court concluded that the former Flamengo player was innocent, closing the case.

AND FLAMENGO?

The Mais Querido even considered the possibility of bringing Lucas Paquetá back this summer. However, it opted to sign Jorge Carrascal , a Colombian midfielder who was at Dynamo Moscow. Therefore, the board is unlikely to look for another player for the position in 2025.

NEXT GAME

Now, Flamengo leaves the market in the background and turns its attention to the Copa Libertadores. This Wednesday (13), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), Filipe Luís' team receives Internacional , at Maracanã, for the first leg of the round of 16.