Maldonado returned to Flamengo's starting lineup last Wednesday (March 24.03), and he's not expected to leave. At least, not for now. Next Sunday (March 28.03), the team from Gávea hosts América at Engenhão, and there's a good chance the Chilean will remain in the starting eleven. Even with the return of Toró, who was suspended and didn't face Tigres, the number 13 should remain in the first team to gain more game time.

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Coach Andrade was pleased with the midfielder's recovery, having not played in four months. Despite being out for a long time, Maldonado displayed his usual resourcefulness and spirit in the match against the Xerém team. For this, he earned much praise from the coach.

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"He had a good return. He lived up to expectations, ran a lot, moved around... I spoke to him during the game, he looked good physically and stayed on the field for the full 90 minutes," he noted.

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Even so, Andrade prefers to remain cautious about the upcoming matches. The coach hasn't yet defined how he will organize the midfield going forward, but Maldonado is expected to remain in the starting lineup. After all, he needs to gain match fitness, and he's a player who could be very useful this season.

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"Now we'll see if he continues as a starter. We have Toró back for the next match, and I haven't decided how I'm going to set up the team yet. But I'm inclined to keep Maldonado in the team, after all, he needs match fitness," he added.