On Friday afternoon (29), Zé Ricardo spoke to journalists in the press room at CT George Helal, in Vargem Grande, after the end of training. The coach commented on Flamengo's aspirations in the Brasileirão. Asked about the start of Diego's ball work and the debuts of Leandro Damião and Donatti, the red-black commander preached caution, giving the necessary time for the athletes to be in condition to play their best football.

Topping the table is our greatest desire, but we know it's a tough road. We have many big games to play, and teams with a very good level ahead of us who are fighting for the top spot. But even so, this has to be our goal. Our focus is to reach the end of the competition fighting for the title and, consequently, for the top four.

We always need to maintain balance, because this also depends on the opponent's style of play and their position in the table. Some teams come out more, others less, and we need to be balanced, both offensively and defensively, so we can play our game. Our goal is to be able to define our approach regardless of where we're playing.

He's been handed over to the Performance Excellence Center. When he's ready to play, he'll be notified to us. Diego continues to undergo a series of tests and exams to determine exactly what workload we can put him through on the field. We've taken and continue to take the same precautions with Donatti and Damião, ensuring they can debut safely and without any harm to their health.

They're in the squad for the trip. They're two players with many qualities. Damião is a top scorer, with successful spells with several teams. We have great faith that he can find happiness here and the conditions to play the football we know he can show. We're getting to know Donatti better and better in training. We're taking some care with him due to his adaptation, as he's a player coming from abroad. He's returned after a long period of inactivity. Little by little, we'll get him back into playing condition.

Options for the left side
Jorge's immediate replacement is Chiquinho, and we have complete confidence in him. This week, after the knee injury he suffered during the warm-up against América-MG, Jorge is doing some training at the CEP. Tomorrow he'll be on the field, and we'll see if he's fit enough to play. I can't say yet if he'll play, as we always take great care of our players' health, but if he's unavailable, Chiquinho will play in his place.