This Thursday afternoon (15) will be marked by Flamengo's 123rd anniversary and also by another important match for the team in the Brazilian Championship. The Most Beloved will face Santos, at 17 pm, at Maracanã. More than 38 thousand tickets have already been sold for this match. 

Coach Dorival Júnior will be without Lucas Paquetá, Renê, and Willian Arão, all suspended for accumulating three yellow cards. On the eve of the match, the Flamengo coach gave a press conference and spoke about possible replacements.

"I think all the athletes have been working well in their roles. Given the absence of the current starters, we've already defined some players, and that's an important fact. I don't like to hide the team. We only have a doubt with Diego, who started training yesterday. But if he's available, we'll go with Diego, Pará, and Romulo in place of the three who are out."

Dorival highlighted the motivation everyone has when wearing the Sacred Mantle (Flamengo's jersey) and the confidence that the Nation has instilled in the team. 

"Just wearing a shirt like Flamengo's makes us prioritize the word 'motivation.' The confidence that Flamengo fans have given us is yet another example of what we need to achieve on the field. I think the fans believe in us, and we can't lack motivation on the pitch."

The coach also used the conversation with journalists to talk about the ups and downs that all the teams have experienced in the Championship, and assured them that the focus remains on winning the competition. 

"There have been ups and downs, even with Palmeiras. They were the team that fluctuated the least. Until the game against São Paulo, we hadn't been fluctuating. In the game against Botafogo, we didn't have a great night, and we know we made mistakes. I want to, and continue to believe, that something can still change. We have to do our part and get our result."

Diego is a regular starter for Flamengo, and everyone knows his level of play. He felt some discomfort during the match against Botafogo and has already received the necessary treatment. I hope we can count on him for this game. He's crucial to our aspirations.

When you step onto the field wearing the Flamengo jersey, you already have to do your best and fight. The fans are with the team and believe in us. We do too, and we believe something can happen. We want to play a great game.

If he felt anything, he should have felt it in the previous match, where he scored two goals when I was Santos' coach. The affection for Santos always remains, but I think that from the moment we step onto the field defending Flamengo, the mindset changes.

"Plan B" if Diego can't play is still not defined, but yesterday we worked with Marlos on that wing.