With Juan suspended for his third yellow card, left-back Eltinho will make his Flamengo debut on Sunday against Santos at Vila Belmiro. Having been out of action since October last year due to a left thigh injury, the player hopes to overcome his lack of rhythm with great determination.

"The work is being done well. I spent two weeks working hard on the physical side of things and I hope to have a good game. The tactical and technical aspects will improve with each game and training session. What matters at this point is overcoming obstacles."

Eltinho believes that a victory over Santos will put the red-black team back in contention for the national title.

"We're ready to face Santos at Vila Belmiro. We beat Atlético-PR in the last round, and now we need to continue working to get back to the top of the table."

Eltinho admitted that it is difficult to replace Juan at this excellent moment that the full-back is experiencing.

"Juan is an excellent player. It's difficult to replace the best left-back in Brazil. I've been watching him in training and will try to do my best. My playing style is very similar to Juan's. I always play forward, trying to put my teammates in front of goal."