With a burn on his left foot, striker Adriano is ruled out of Sunday's match against Corinthians in Campinas, in the penultimate round of the Brazilian Championship. Doctor José Luiz Runco said the Emperor has a blister on the inside of his heel that is becoming inflamed.

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"I talked extensively with Adriano and the coaching staff, and we decided to veto the player. He has an infectious process due to a blister that is inflamed and won't heal by the time the game starts. We're going to rest him to play next Sunday."

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Adriano said that this is the moment for Flamengo to prove its strength.

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"The players have a lot of confidence in me, and I saw how sad they were on some of their faces. Suddenly, there will be a void, but we are placing our trust in Mezenga. Everything will be fine, and it's time for Flamengo to show its strength without Adriano."

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After this afternoon's collective training session, Andrade praised the qualities of striker Bruno Mezenga.

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"He'll play alongside Zé Roberto. It's a shame we'll be without Adriano, who is a leader on the field and our role model. But we're betting on Mezenga. He's in tune with the group, he came through the academy, and he can play a good role. I'm optimistic and I'm betting on a Flamengo victory."

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Flamengo faces Corinthians with: Bruno; Léo Moura, Álvaro, Ronaldo Angelim and Juan; Airton, Toró, Willians and Petkovic; Zé Roberto and Bruno Mezenga.

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