On June 16th, the fans were given a scare. Paulo Victor fractured his fibula during training on field 2 of the George Helal Training Center. The injury wasn't simple, but on that day, the athlete, known for his discipline and unique personality, declared that he would do everything possible to return as soon as possible. From then on, a countdown began, which will end at 16 pm on Sunday (August 02.08nd), against Santos, at the Maracanã Stadium.

The plan needed to be followed meticulously and demanded a great deal of dedication from the club's professionals and the athlete. From the beginning, the number 48 made it clear that he wouldn't settle for just doing the bare minimum. He wanted to do more and better. The result was an above-average recovery, as Dr. Márcio Tannure himself points out.

"A fibula fracture typically requires a recovery time of four to six weeks, but can extend to eight. His recovery was above average because he was already training on the field after four weeks. It took the minimum possible time. We monitored him every two weeks, and when we performed the last X-ray, about ten days ago, it was already healed, with bone callus. He is clinically cleared," stated the club doctor.

Back to work in six days
In the week leading up to the match against Goiás, Paulo Victor was already showing considerable improvement. According to Dr. Tannure, the player didn't travel to Goiânia because, although the fracture had healed, he still needed to do field work and be tested in all jumping and impact movements. "It was a medical and technical precaution," he summarized. Physically, the goalkeeper was also close to 100%.

Just six days after the injury, he began exercising his upper body with physical trainer Diogo Linhares, responsible for transitioning athletes from the Medical Department to the field, and for strength training in the gym. Linhares is in his second stint with Flamengo (his first was from 2010 to 2011) and says that finding a determined person like the starting goalkeeper for Flamengo only helps in the execution of tasks and in achieving a successful outcome. In total, Diogo and Paulo Victor worked together for six weeks, following a program developed jointly by the physical trainers, the Medical Department, physiotherapists, and goalkeeping coach Wagner Miranda, always with the knowledge of Cristóvão Borges. A multidisciplinary effort, with everyone involved and exchanging ideas.

"We did everything gradually. Since he was only away for a short time after the injury, he didn't lose much. We respected his recovery phase. With each improvement observed, we added some type of training. During these days together, we worked on the physical attributes that are crucial for high-performance football, such as strength, power, and speed. We sought, and succeeded, in getting him back directly to technical and tactical training on the field, without needing any reconditioning. It was great. We exercised in the gym and on the field; we used the Fit Light (from the third week onwards) for timing and speed of reaction time in the upper limbs. He is in very good physical condition. It is with great joy and happiness that we watch Paulo Victor return to doing what he loves and does very well," said Diogo.

In the week leading up to his return to the pitch, the coach said they took special care. Before each training session on the field, they performed preventative exercises on the goalkeeper's muscles and joints, in the area where the injury occurred. All the work done with Flamengo's starting goalkeeper received praise from goalkeeping coach Wagner Miranda, who began his on-field readaptation with him on July 11th.

"Paulo Victor is very happy to have returned to training with the ball and with the group. The work was very well done by the Medical Department, the physiotherapy team, and Diogo Linhares, until it reached me. The transition work done by Diogo was of a high level, allowing us to do more advanced technical work with the athlete, who responded very positively. We are happy," he said.

Wagner Miranda swaps days off for training sessions with Paulo Victor.
After playing out of state, it wasn't uncommon to see delegation members heading home, while Wagner Miranda went straight to the training center, where Paulo Victor awaited him for another scheduled training session. Even the alternative schedules couldn't change the routine, as on the return from Recife, when Flamengo arrived in Rio de Janeiro before 6 am. On match days at the Maracanã Stadium, he would take the athlete to do exercises on the sand in the morning before reporting to the team's headquarters to watch the young Cesar play in the matches.

"Paulo Victor has a great capacity to regain his technical conditioning. We don't need to do any special activity aimed at improving any fundamental skill that he may have lost a little during his time away. He is technically very good. Up to the game, I implemented a gradual evolution of training, going through all game situations. Specific work. He responded very positively, making the movements in the same way as the other goalkeepers, without any difference. Reaction speed is something that could have been affected by the time he was out, but it wasn't. He continues with the same reaction speed. I attribute this to the person, to the player, because he didn't let it drop. And to the training, to the volume that was done for him. Thank God our work, with everyone giving their all, paid off and he is coming back very well," celebrated Wagner, who also praised César, who replaced the number 48 during this time. "He is a great goalkeeper, a promising player we have at Flamengo. A player that I, personally, have a lot of faith in. I believe that in the future he will be a big name within Flamengo."

Discipline and determination: trademarks
On some days, Paulo Victor worked full-time to have more training sessions, advance his progress, and gain confidence. However, when only one training session was scheduled, the goalkeeper would often ask to work the entire day. "An extra hour, an hour and a half a day makes a difference in the end," he would say. This willpower, focus, and discipline were his trademarks and key factors, according to the professionals who coached him.

"Discipline, the will to get better, to be 100%, aligned with the Medical Department, helped a lot. The genetic aspect also played a role, due to bone consolidation which interferes with several factors. It depends on the characteristics of each body, and this can vary the recovery time, but he has a willpower that helps a lot," assessed Dr. Márcio Tannure. Diogo Linhares followed the same line. "Working with Paulo Victor is very easy. It's excellent. He is very dedicated, extremely disciplined, and follows all the instructions given to the letter. It was a great differentiator in this recovery. Added to all the multidisciplinary work of the technical staff," he stated.

Wagner Miranda also highlighted another distinguishing factor. "He is extremely determined, sets goals and dedicates himself to making them happen. He is always thinking positively. That's what makes him a little different. His psychological aspect helped a lot in his recovery. Discipline is fundamental for an athlete. Paulo Victor is extremely disciplined, as are César, Daniel and Thiago," he concluded.

Paulo Victor: 'Happy to be back wearing the Flamengo shirt'
With the game approaching, Paulo Victor doesn't hide his anxiety; his happiness is mixed with a touch of sadness as he recalls the days he spent away from the team. In great form before the injury, he now hopes to return to his best form and help the club continue climbing the table. And his return will be at home, with the Maracanã packed with the fans, accustomed to hailing him as "the best in Brazil".

"I'm happy that my return is imminent. It's difficult to deal with a serious injury, a fracture. We fight so hard to play, to wear the Flamengo shirt. Accidents happen and take us by surprise. You need to keep your head and understand that these things happen in life, but on the other hand, you get a little sad. As soon as I got injured, I tried to see what I could do to get back as soon as possible. The doctor even asked me to walk a lot to start moving the area. At certain times you need to rest a little, of course. I'm sure that everything I could do to come back quickly and well, I did, together with the staff," he said.

Having been at Gávea for just over a decade, the athlete maintains the humility he had at the beginning, when he arrived to play in the youth divisions. He understands the importance of recognizing and reciprocating demonstrations of affection and consideration. Another stage has been overcome, objectives achieved, without forgetting those who help keep the machine running.

"I'm happy with the affection and concern I received from everyone. The medical and physical aspects. Diogo Linhares was very important; Wagner, who would come in on his days off to give me training; everyone in physiotherapy, who dedicated themselves, sometimes even coming to my house. We have to be grateful. Football is very competitive, things happen very quickly, and these professionals try to keep up with that to get the player back on the field as soon as possible. Thank you very much."