The biggest ball thief in the Brazilian Championship and a key player in the Flamengo midfield since the beginning of last year, midfielder Willians suffered the worst injury of his career right on Flamengo's debut in 2010. A sprained ankle kept him out of action for a long time, but now, the player is ready to return to the form that made him one of the standouts of the sixth national championship last season.

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One of the great protectors of the red-and-black defense, Willians could do little to prevent the team from conceding a high number of goals at the start of the season. His absence, in fact, was cited as one of the main reasons for this. The player laments the injury, which caused him to miss a good run of games.

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"I've never been injured like this before. It really affected my overall performance. I was playing well and unfortunately I had to be out of the team," he said.

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The number eight doesn't hide his desire to return to the field as soon as possible. In recent matches, he's already been able to play for a few minutes—in the match against Fluminense, he even came on very well and provided a great assist for one of Adriano's three goals in the derby. But for the semifinal against Botafogo, the midfielder wants to do much more.

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"I received excellent treatment at Flamengo's medical department and recovered well. I believe I'll be 100% fit against Botafogo and able to play. I hope to be back on the field and help my teammates secure another victory," he said.

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If the club's medical department is concerned, the player will indeed be on the field against Botafogo. However, Dr. Marcelo Soares states that medical clearance alone isn't enough; rather, a comprehensive effort involving physical, technical, and tactical preparation is required to ensure the player is ready to play.

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"Clinically, he's already back to full fitness, and now he's at 100% as expected. He needs to be readapted, both clinically and physically, technically and tactically, after all, he's been out for a long time. But medically, everything is fine," he explained.