Flamengo projects Paquetá's return in a new break in the calendar after draws

During the break for the World Cup, when there was a period of work in Portugal and friendlies, the Flamengo coach was unable to count on the nine athletes who were assigned to their respective teams. Later, the group also dealt with injuries.

"I intend to unite the group in terms of work, because we haven't been able to do that yet. After the arrivals, the players started to join in a trickle. Many of them trained alone, because we were traveling or weren't with the group. Others are coming due to injury", said Jardim.

The commission plans to reinstate Paquetá, expanding options for the sector in returning to its commitments. The midfielder, who played for the Brazilian team at the World Cup, was treating a problem in his left thigh. Recently, Jardim was also without Plata, who is recovering from tendinitis in his right knee, and Luiz Araújo, who is treating a sprain in his left knee.

"In relation to Paquetá, at first, he is also starting to work with the group from now on. Afterwards, we will have the squad closed. I believe that we will be able to recover a little of our DNA, of that way of playing that we seek and present, especially before the World Cup", stated Jardim.

After the draws with São Paulo, at Maracanã, and Internacional, at Beira-Rio, the coach did not hide his dissatisfaction with the team's performance, especially in the early stages, when he saw an "apathetic" performance. He compared it to the level that Flamengo was presenting before the World Cup.

"We presented a certain performance until the game against Coritiba. Afterwards, we had a group training for 30 or so days and another group that was away, working with other coaches, other ideas and other behaviors, and that only arrived now", he said.

"After the return of these players, we still haven't been able to adjust the team, because we also didn't have time to train. It took 10 days with three games, or a week with three matches. Therefore, we have to make the most of this period we will have now to adjust the group in its entirety again, so that the actions are better interpreted and the quality of the game returns to the level we presented in the first phase, when we had the entire group at our disposal", declared Jardim.

The game with Vitória will be the last before Flamengo returns to the field in the Libertadores. The Gávea team faces Cruzeiro on the 12th, at Mineirão, in the first game of the round of 16 of the continental competition. The second meeting takes place on the 19th, at Maracanã.