After this afternoon's tactical training session in Gávea, coach Caio Júnior spoke about his expectations for Saturday's match against Atlético-MG at Maracanã, a match valid for the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship. Even with the Minas Gerais team currently in 12th place in the standings with 34 points, the Flamengo manager warned of the dangers Flamengo will face.

"It's going to be a super tough game. Atlético-MG is going through a tough time off the field, right in their centennial year. They could have beaten Palmeiras in the last round, even playing at Palestra Itália. It's going to be tough, and we have to be very careful. They're likely to come out strong, which will make things very difficult. The fans have to understand that the important thing right now is the three points."

Caio Júnior has not yet chosen a replacement for Juan, who is currently playing for the Brazilian national team.

"It will be a good test for the team to play without Fábio Luciano and Juan. Dininho will replace Fábio. I haven't decided who will replace Juan yet. It could be Luizinho or Sambueza. I'll wait until training to decide."

Even with Flamengo four points behind leaders Palmeiras, Caio Júnior guaranteed that there is no atmosphere of hubbub in Gávea.

"There's no euphoria here. When we were leading by five points, that wasn't the case. What we have here is a team focused on achieving its goals. We have 10 games ahead, and we're taking them as seriously as possible."