He arrived midway through last year to shape Flamengo's midfield and became a key player in the team that won its sixth Brazilian championship in December. Chilean Maldonado is one of the red-and-black team's most highly valued players after the title, and fans are eagerly awaiting news of his recovery. The player injured his knee in a match for the Chilean national team last season, but reports of his return are very positive, and he hopes to be back on the field for the Copa Libertadores.

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After a long time away from his country's national team, Maldonado was called up again by coach Marcelo Bielsa in 2009. Excited about the possibility of playing in the World Cup in South Africa, in the middle of the year, and also about returning to play in the Copa Libertadores da América, this time wearing the Flamengo shirt, the midfielder says he is doing everything he can to return as soon as possible.

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"I'm recovering slowly. I spoke with (José Luis) Runco and he said the improvement is good. We know it's a very important year for Flamengo and we have the Libertadores ahead of us. I want to be in playing condition to help the group and go to the World Cup. That's what motivates me a lot," said the number 13.

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A Colo-Colo fan as a child, Maldonado envisions the match against Universidad de Chile, Colo-Colo's biggest rival, in the Copa Libertadores group stage. He wants to defeat his favorite team's biggest rival on the field.

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"I was a Colo Colo fan as a kid, and our biggest rival is Universidad de Chile. I'll have a personal derby in this Libertadores group. We know they're a good team, but I think Flamengo has every chance of doing well in this group," he said.

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Animated Runco - Flamengo and the Brazilian National Team's doctor, Dr. José Luiz Runco, is also excited about the player's recovery, which is exceeding expectations. According to the latest forecast, Maldonado should be able to play by mid-March. "Maldonado continues to recover, he's doing very well. He's making a great recovery. In February, he should already be starting muscle and knee strengthening exercises, and I believe that by mid-March he should be able to train with the whole group and will probably be playing," he explained.