After Friday afternoon's training session in Gávea, coach Cuca said he expects a fiercely contested match against Fluminense on Sunday at Maracanã. The Flamengo coach stated he knows the opposing team very well and assured that Flamengo is prepared to put on a good performance.

"We had good training sessions this week. We worked well, and I hope we can maintain this good run. A win could put us in the top four in the next round. It'll be a tough match, like all matches in the Brasileirão. Fluminense has a good team, with players everyone already knows. I know their team well, and I believe Parreira knows us well too. It will be a tight match, but we have everything we need to put on a strong performance."

With Airton suspended from the derby, Cuca said that Everton, Fierro and Guilherme Camacho are competing for a spot in the team.

"They're players with different characteristics. Everton is a midfielder who gets forward well, just like Fierro, but on opposite flanks. Guilherme Camacho, on the other hand, is a kid with a lot of potential and has been training excellently. I'll only decide tomorrow after training."