Paolo Guerrero was ruled out of playing in Wednesday's second leg match between Flamengo and Fluminense, corresponding to the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana, after failing to overcome his discomfort in his left thigh.
"Paolo said he would be in the call-up, but we do not feel total confidence. The doctors believe he needs a few more days and made another decision,", explained Flamengo's coach, the Colombian Reinaldo Rueda, at a press conference on Tuesday.
There has been speculation for days about the version that the striker is saving himself for the play-off that the Peruvian National Team will play in November against New Zealand for a place in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
This theory was firmly rejected by coach Rueda, who said that Guerrero "knows it is important to play" and added that he hopes to have the striker available next Sunday against Gremio.
"He wants to play, he tells me. He tried, but he did not feel confident enough to play. It is understandable,", said the coach.
With information from EFE