Official note - recovery of athlete Pedro

On Tuesday morning (25), striker Pedro took another important step in his recovery after surgery on his left knee. At CT George Helal, the player began physical preparation work to be able to make his debut for Flamengo. 

Under the guidance of physical trainer Junior Bezerra, Pedro performed movement coordination exercises, exchanged passes, dribbled around fixed posts, and even scored goals from the small goals positioned on the field. Beforehand, he performed mobility and strength exercises with physical therapy.

Without skipping a beat, Pedro's recovery progress was made possible after assessments confirmed his positive progress. This was a collaborative effort between the surgeon who operated on the athlete, Flamengo's doctors, the club's physiotherapists, and, most importantly, Pedro himself.

"We've been in constant contact with Dr. Luiz Antônio Vieira, the doctor who operated on Pedro and has been monitoring his recovery with us. The player's response to the stimuli was excellent, and that's why we've been able to make progress in his recovery. Each stage has been completed and confirmed with the tests we've performed, always respecting the athlete's biological individuality and the concepts of ligament regeneration. There's still a lot of work ahead, as time is of the essence at this point, but expectations are very high," commented Fernando Sassaki, Flamengo's doctor.

"When we arrived in January, we evaluated the entire process. He was at a very good stage in terms of range of motion, and his muscle strength was already at a satisfactory level, so we could continue. We did strength, endurance, and muscle power work, but also proprioceptive functional reeducation. We divided the work over the last few weeks, alternating between sand and grass, and he always did very well. From the moment we observed his clinical and physical therapy progress, we understood that he could advance in the recovery phase," said Fabio Marcelo, Flamengo's physical therapy coordinator. 

"In this first phase, on the field, we prioritized physical conditioning through technical movements like dribbling, finishing, and even scoring goals. As the athlete responds, we progress with him. We have a weekly plan for Pedro, and we evaluate it daily. We plan, execute, and analyze his response to adjust in subsequent sessions," explained Diogo Linhares, Flamengo's physical trainer. 

Pedro was injured on September 4, 2024, while on duty with the Brazilian national team. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He began physical therapy immediately after surgery and is now making progress toward returning to the field.