Many fans believe that the life of a soccer player is easy. However, it's full of obstacles on the road to success. Among them are injuries. At Flamengo, three players are in the medical department at the crucial moment of the season. Midfielder Kleberson, with a dislocated shoulder; defender David, with a fractured face; and young Everton, with a broken foot, live with the anxiety of having to watch their teammates on the field without being able to do anything to help. Even so, the fans are in large numbers to see the team from Gávea in the top positions of the Brazilian Championship.

A right shoulder injury upon his return to the Brazilian national team, while he was enjoying a very happy time at Flamengo, kept Kleberson out of action from August until the end of the year. Unable to help his teammates on the field, "Penta," as he's known within the group, continues to root for Flamengo to secure a spot in the top four. Coincidence or not, it's a very similar situation to 4, when he was signed. Unable to play due to bureaucratic procedures, he trained with the group and watched the Gávea team's run in the Brasileirão that year, but did not participate in the campaign.

"Kleberson is transitioning from the medical department to physical conditioning. He's doing recovery exercises in physical therapy, but he's already been cleared to run. He arrives at Gávea, does physical therapy, and then begins developing his aerobic fitness. Once he's fully cleared, this will help. I believe he's progressing well. There's a timeframe for the athlete's full recovery, but we'll monitor his progress with physical therapy," explained Flamengo's physical trainer, Alexandre Sanz.

Living one of his best moments since arriving at Gávea, Everton is another who will only return to the field in 2010. He fractured his foot in the duel against São Paulo and will not play again this season.

The young player felt the blow, but guarantees that he will bounce back.

"Now I need to be calm. This is the most difficult moment of my career. Now I need to trust the doctors to play as soon as possible. Toró (who had a similar problem) came to talk to me in the locker room and said that this beginning is difficult, with having to keep my foot up, but that it will get better," said Everton.

David, meanwhile, suffered a serious facial injury in the match against Fluminense at Maracanã. The defender underwent surgery and required nine stitches, but has since been discharged from the hospital and hopes to return soon. The player also takes the opportunity to thank the Flamengo fans for their support.

"Thank God everything went well. I no longer feel pain when I chew, and the doctor said the surgery was successful. I'm fine and want to get back to playing as soon as possible. I'll do everything the doctor tells me to try to shorten my recovery time. I would have played even with the fractured face, but unfortunately, that's not possible. I appreciate the outpouring of affection I've received from my teammates and fans," said David.