Flamengo, in shambles, could have up to ten players missing for the match against Avaí

Eduardo Peixoto Rio de Janeiro

GloboEsporte.com

Flamengo's medical department isn't full. It's overcrowded. Eight players are complaining of problems. But Andrade's agony doesn't end there. The midfielders and defenders are taking turns with suspensions. While Willians returns to the team in the next round, Aírton and David will be out due to accumulated yellow cards.

The combined problems reflect a decimated squad. The coach could be without up to ten players for the match against Avaí on Sunday in Florianópolis. The standard list includes Juan, Kleberson, Toró, and Léo Moura. All four have been out for some time, and the right-back is the closest to returning. But not by much... "The expectation is that Léo will be able to play against Santo André (he will miss the matches against Avaí and Fluminense in the South American Cup)," said Andrade. "Having missed the last two matches due to thigh pain, Petkovic will also be unable to return. Another complicated case is that of Fabrício. The player left the field in the 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro crying and complaining of pain in his right ankle. Having been ruled out of Thursday's game at the last minute, Everton will be re-evaluated for the pain in his right ankle."

In addition to his thigh problem, Emerson also has an imminent transfer to Al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates to deal with. There's a chance he'll have said goodbye to Flamengo in Thursday's match.

"The board is working hard, they're not standing still. Lima (defender) is there, Corrêa is negotiating..." said Andrade. With nowhere to turn for now, Andrade once again appeals to the youth ranks. In recent rounds, he's used players who were recently in the juniors: Camacho, Lenon, Galhardo, Jorbison. The team's form is so bad that Bruno Paulo, who played four games and stood out, was dropped because he didn't renew his contract.

"I didn't expect to go through this. I debuted against Santos (seven rounds ago) with one team, and now it's other players," lamented the coach. The curious thing is that many of those on the absentee list suffered from recent boos from the fans. Juan, Léo Moura, and Kleberson, for example. In the 2-1 loss to Cruzeiro, it was goalkeeper Bruno's turn to be chosen.

"They're going to be on the back of the benchmark. I know I can do more and I'll improve. Without peace of mind, the cow goes to the ditch," said the number 1.

Possible lineup

Besides Bruno, only three other players considered starters will be on the field: Ronaldo Angelim, Willians, and Adriano. In defense, Welinton is expected to form the trio with Angelim and Willians. Rômulo would slot into the holding midfield alongside Lenon. Everton Silva and Jorbison are expected to remain on the wings, and Fierro or Zé Roberto will be responsible for supplying the attack formed by Adriano and Dênis Marques.

Embezzlement:

David – suspended – out of the next game \ Airton – suspended – out of the next game \ Fabricio – sprained right ankle – will be re-evaluated \ Emerson – pain in the right thigh – will be re-evaluated \ Everton – sprained right ankle – will be re-evaluated \ petkovic - right thigh injury – out of next game \ Leo Moura – sprained right ankle – out of the next two games \ Juan – right knee operation – back in October \ Bull – fracture in the right foot – return in mid-September \ Kleberson – dislocation in the right shoulder – only returns to the field in 2010\