Maldonado hopes to play against Grêmio
Chilean says week of training was beneficial and says he is physically fit to return to the team
By From the team at Flamengo's official website - in
Coach Rogério Lourenço explained that Maldonado ended up missing Flamengo's last matches in the Brazilian Championship due to physical issues. The player had been recovering from a serious injury to his right knee and, therefore, had the last few days to improve his conditioning and get ready to play again against Grêmio, Saturday (29.05), at 18:30 pm, at Maracanã.
Happy with the results of this week's training, the Chilean believes he is improving and emphasizes that the work has been good for his knee.
"I'm fine. During the week of the trip to Chile, I actually missed a few days of work, and it was important to have this week to train, to do activities focused more on my knee. Now I believe I'm progressing well," he said.
Aware of the importance of a victory this weekend, Maldonado wants to be on the field to help Flamengo secure three more points in the Brasileirão.
"The idea was to be ready for Saturday's game, and I believe I'll be able to play. It's an important match. We need to win and get points in these rounds before the World Cup, especially playing at home," he said.
While the midfielder is certain about the need for a good result against Grêmio, the same cannot be said about his future. With a contract that expires on August 30th, Maldonado isn't sure if he'll stay at Flamengo, but he guarantees his desire to renew.
"I have a contract with Flamengo until August 30th. After that, I don't know what my situation will be like. I want to stay. I really like the club, I'm very happy here and, for now, I'm at peace. We'll see how things work out, because my transfer belongs to my agent. But I want to stay," he concluded.
Happy with the results of this week's training, the Chilean believes he is improving and emphasizes that the work has been good for his knee.
"I'm fine. During the week of the trip to Chile, I actually missed a few days of work, and it was important to have this week to train, to do activities focused more on my knee. Now I believe I'm progressing well," he said.
Aware of the importance of a victory this weekend, Maldonado wants to be on the field to help Flamengo secure three more points in the Brasileirão.
"The idea was to be ready for Saturday's game, and I believe I'll be able to play. It's an important match. We need to win and get points in these rounds before the World Cup, especially playing at home," he said.
While the midfielder is certain about the need for a good result against Grêmio, the same cannot be said about his future. With a contract that expires on August 30th, Maldonado isn't sure if he'll stay at Flamengo, but he guarantees his desire to renew.
"I have a contract with Flamengo until August 30th. After that, I don't know what my situation will be like. I want to stay. I really like the club, I'm very happy here and, for now, I'm at peace. We'll see how things work out, because my transfer belongs to my agent. But I want to stay," he concluded.