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Flamengo x Estudiantes in the Libertadores with a fierce dispute between Pulgar and Evertton Araújo in midfield

Pulgar - Gilvan de Souza / Flamengo
Photo: Pulgar - Gilvan de Souza / Flamengo

Midfielder Erick Pulgar trained normally at night and is approaching his return to the field with Flamengo after forty-five days of physical recovery. The player suffered a serious injury to his right shoulder at the beginning of April and was absent from the Rio team in a decisive period of the season. Sua’s presence on the list of related players for the confrontation against Estudiantes, by Copa Libertadores of América, depends only on the final assessment of the technical committee led by Leonardo Jardim. The continental duel takes place this Wednesday night at Estádio of Maracanã.

The technical committee is closely monitoring the medical recovery. The athlete carried out the last activities without movement restrictions and demonstrated progress in physical contact with his castmates. Sua direct selection into the starting eleven, however, is treated as unlikely by members of the football department. The competitive pace of the game and the long period of inactivity weigh against the use of the steering wheel from the referee’s initial whistle.

The long absence opened space for the technical growth of new names in the marking sector of the Flamengo squad. The current scenario indicates that the Chilean will need to regain the coach’s trust to regain the status he had before the injury. The collective and individual performance of the substitutes transformed a position that previously did not suffer internal challenges into a sector of intense tactical competition.

Placar to Vivo Flamengo – Estudiantes from La Plata

Ascensão from the youth base consolidates new tactical structure

Midfielder Evertton Araújo assumed responsibility at the head of the area and became the main highlight of Flamengo’s defensive sector during the period. The young athlete took advantage of the sequence of matches in the starting team and delivered safe and regular performances that pleased fans and sports analysts. Mesmo During the recent collective stumbles that culminated in the disqualification in Copa from Brasil to Vitória, the young man’s individual performance continued to be praised.

The midfielder served an automatic suspension in the previous round of Campeonato Brasileiro and reappears rested to resume his position in the clash against the Argentine team. Sua lineup for the continental match has been confirmed by the Gávea technical committee. Jorginho also served a regulatory suspension over the weekend and has a guaranteed return among the starters to form the framework for offensive plays alongside the base boy.

The options in the red and black central sector have different dynamics created by the coach in the team’s last commitments:

  • Evertton Araújo acts as the first midfielder in direct protection of the team’s line of defenders.
  • Jorginho works on the quick transition of the ball between the defense and attack sectors.
  • Lucas Paquetá gained deeper tactical functions to enhance Flamengo’s game output.
  • Erick Pulgar offers greater physical imposition in aerial combat and disarms at the entrance to the area.

Improvisações tactics and injury casualties reshape the industry

The competition for a place in midfield gained new tactical contours with the use of Lucas Paquetá in deeper defensive roles. The midfielder was brought back by coach Leonardo Jardim and quickly adapted to the team’s new marking and game distribution dynamics. Ele also recovered from a slight injury suffered during the period and played in the last round in Baixada’s Arena against Athletico Paranaense to regain rhythm in the game.

The current trend points to a new positional change for Lucas Paquetá in the Rio team’s next matches. Uruguayan midfielder Giorgian De Arrascaeta suffered a muscle injury and will be absent from the team for an indefinite period in the next official competitions. With the absence of number ten, the Brazilian player must advance on the field to act in his original role as the main playmaker in the Flamengo offensive sector.

Histórico of contractual punishment and behind the scenes of the Chilean’s injury

Erick Pulgar’s injury occurred on April 2nd during the defeat suffered against Red Bull Bragantino by a score of 3-0. The athlete was sent off at the beginning of the second half of that match and received strong criticism from fans on social media for the disciplinary error. Superior Tribunal of Justiça Desportiva imposed a severe punishment of four matches of suspension on the player in an after-the-fact trial. The midfielder fully complied with this automatic sporting punishment while undergoing medical treatment on his shoulder.

The medical department vetoed the midfielder’s participation in Curitiba’s match because the athlete needed complete physical reconditioning during open field training. The Flamengo technical committee plans to gradually use the player in the calendar that precedes the interruption of club competitions to compete in the world team tournament. The team will have four important commitments in front of their fans in the capital of Rio de Janeiro before the official break of Federação Internacional and Futebol.

Cláusula contract termination generates uncertainty about the future

Erick Pulgar’s stay in the red and black squad faces internal questions that go beyond purely technical or physical issues on the field. Durante the contract renewal process signed last season, the Flamengo board agreed to considerably reduce the athlete’s termination fine for the international market. The new exit value was set at 4 million dollars and will have immediate legal validity from next July.

The current working relationship between the Rio club and the Chilean player ends in December of next year. The drastic reduction in the value of the contractual fine puts the athlete’s future at imminent risk due to the strong interest from foreign football teams. The Flamengo board experienced an identical situation last season with midfielder Gerson. The club reduced the midfielder’s clause to 25 million euros during the renewal and lost the athlete to Zenit, from Rússia, who paid the full amount at the beginning of the second half of that year.