After training this morning in Gávea, manager Caio Júnior spoke about what he expects from the Flamengo team for Sunday's Fla-Flu match at Maracanã. Even with Fluminense in a difficult position in the standings, Caio believes Flamengo will face a very strong opponent in this next round of the Brazilian Championship.

"Fluminense found itself in this difficult situation because it had to prioritize the Libertadores. Now it's trying to recover, which is difficult given the tightness of the championship. On Sunday, they should play with a lineup similar to the one they played in the Libertadores, which gives us the certainty of facing a very strong opponent. We've played three derbies this year, all of them difficult, and Sunday's will be no different," the coach stated.

Knowing the challenges he'll face, Caio Júnior relies on Flamengo's new reinforcements. Midfielders Everton and Sambueza are frontrunners for a spot on the team.

"I don't know yet who I'll be able to count on for the derby. I hope I can count on all of them. Everton is practically certain to have him, and Sambueza too. Vandinho is also recovering well from his injury. I'll decide on Sunday's lineup calmly. I want to count on the reinforcements at the right time. Aside from Marcelinho, who has already played three matches, there's no way to analyze the others yet."

With a sequence of two draws away from home, against Santos and Inter, and two victories at Maracanã, against Atlético-PR and Grêmio, coach Caio Júnior is confident in the team's recovery at an important moment in the Brazilian Championship.

"Our decline in the Brazilian Championship was due to several factors, and we're recovering at a crucial moment. We gained players, and we could have beaten Inter there, which would have been wonderful for the team's motivation and for qualification. But this proves that the group can do well until the end of the championship."

For Caio, the entire week of training will be important to prepare the team for the Fla-Flu and to get the new reinforcements in tune.

"This week without games is the ideal time to work professionally. It should always be this way. This period has been difficult for some teams and continues to be so for those competing in the South American. Next week we still have a game on Wednesday, but after that it will be only on the weekends, and it will be important, especially for the players who have just arrived, to adapt."