On one side, a young player seeking his place. On the other, an experienced foreigner seeking a spot in the World Cup. Lenon and Maldonado are expected to form Flamengo's defensive midfield duo in Sunday's (April 04.04) match against Friburguense in the final round of the Taça Rio.

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Raised in the club's youth ranks, Lenon prefers to remain cautious about his lineup, but guarantees that if Andrade decides to put him on the field from the start, he will do everything he can to do well.

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"First, I'll wait to be selected. Then, maybe I'll be on the bench. Only then will I think about the starting spot. Maybe I'll get that opportunity, but my focus is on training. I'm dedicating myself a lot so that, if I do start playing, I can do the best I can," he said.

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For the defensive midfielder position, the competition is fierce within Flamengo's squad. Fernando, Toró, Willians, and Maldonado are all vying for the starting spot, but Lenon doesn't mind. According to him, there's room for everyone in the squad.

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"The group is very strong and everyone knows that. There's room for everyone. Maldonado is a great player. Playing alongside him is very easy. It's always good to have an experienced and calm guy on your side to play with and this duo would be very welcome," he added.

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Approved by Chilean
Maldonado, for his part, has nothing but praise for Lenon. The Chilean, a two-time Brazilian champion and a former international, believes the young midfielder has a bright future ahead of him.

"It's great to have a guy like Lenon in the squad. He's a team player, who arrived at the club early, is dedicated, and it's great to have a player like that by your side. I'm sure that with the work he does, he'll play for a long time at Flamengo. I really hope he can grow here. I teach him some things, like positioning, and also to help him move a little more calmly and avoid committing fouls. I'll be happy if I can help him develop," he added.