Rio de Janeiro -
The new coronavirus and injuries have decimated Flamengo to face Barcelona SC on Wednesday, September 23 in Guayaquil, in a match in which the current champion of the Copa Libertadores hopes to recover from the 5-0 defeat against Independiente del Valle last week in Quito.
Mengao, led by Catalan Domènec Torrent, will not be able to count on eight of the 25 players he took to Ecuador due to the Covid-19 infection in Ecuador of six players - four of them starters -, the muscle injury of their star player Gabriel Barbosa (Gabigol), and the expulsion of their defender Gustavo Henrique.
The six infected players are the full-backs Filipe Luis, Matheuzinho, and Mauricio Isla, the forwards Bruno Henrique and Michael, and the midfielder Diego Ribas, according to Globo Esporte.
"The athletes are asymptomatic, they are in isolation in the concentration and assisted by the club's medical department," Mengao said in a message on Twitter on Sunday night, without specifying the identity of the athletes.
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo reports that six athletes tested positive for Covid-19 in the exam carried out before the match against Barcelona de Guayaquil, for the fourth round of the group stage of the Copa Libertadores da América.
- Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 21, 2020
Captain Diego Ribas, in a video posted on his Instagram account, assured that he is fine, although with "a little pain" in his throat and body.
"The last few days have been very difficult, after the horrible game we played in Quito, and now this news," said the former Atlético de Madrid and Werder Bremen player.
Fla has been in Ecuador since last week and suffered in Quito the worst defeat in its history in an international tournament, being defeated 5-0 by Independiente del Valle.
The current champion of the Brasileirao and the Libertadores remained in Ecuadorian territory to prepare for the match against Barcelona. Now, according to Brazilian media, they are waiting for last minute arrivals of at least four players to mend the team.
Flamengo traveled to Ecuador with a delegation of 25 players. After the absences, they have 17 available: eleven for the lineup and six, half of what is authorized, for the bench.
Of the six available substitutes, two are goalkeepers: Hugo and Gabriel Batista. In the Libertadores, as in other leagues, five substitutions are allowed per game as a shock measure against the pandemic.
Although they are in Brazil, the starting goalkeeper Diego Alves, who has already recovered from Covid-19, and the striker Pedro Rocha cannot be considered by the coach due to different physical problems.
With the absence of the two main right-backs in their squad (Isla and Mateuzinho), Torrent only has youth player Joao Lucas available, who is in Brazil.
If he cannot travel, if called up, the coach will have to improvise a midfielder to occupy that area just at a time when criticism against his management does not cease.
The absences will also affect the match that the cariocas have scheduled against Palmeiras, for the Brasileirao, next Sunday in Sao Paulo. The rubonegros are sixth in the domestic league, four points behind leader Atlético Mineiro.
Flamengo is second in Group A with six points, three behind leader Independiente del Valle. Barcelona is last without points and Junior de Barranquilla is third with three. (D)