Filipe Luís on what Flamengo need to reach their best this season | OneFootball

Even with a rout and solid performances, Filipe Luís highlights an absence that still makes a difference at Flamengo

Flamengo is going through an important phase of the season, riding high on good performances and the recent 8-0 rout over Vitória, in which the whole team stood out. However, for Filipe Luís, there is still one issue pending for the team to reach its ideal level: the return of Erick Pulgar.

— I think we still need to get Erick Pulgar back, who is injured. There's a month left until he returns. He is a pillar of this team, a very important player as the silent leader of the group and will raise the level even more. But in today's game, there were definitely some mistakes that can still be corrected, both in defense and attack, he began, in the post-match press conference.

— And, as with all games, I like to analyze very coldly what actually happened in the match. Look at the mistakes, correct them both on the field and on video. But it's true that the early goals and the team not stopping at any moment knocked out Vitória. They were left without a reaction and the team became more and more comfortable in all phases of the game. But we definitely have things to improve and as time goes by you'll see the players understanding each other more and more, and that will be important this week now that we'll have some time, he concluded.

WHAT KEPT ERICK PULGAR OFF THE FIELD?

Considered a key piece in the balance of Flamengo's midfield, Erick Pulgar has been out of action since June 29, when he was injured during the match against Bayern Munich (GER) in the FIFA Club World Cup. In that match, the Chilean midfielder had to leave the field after feeling pain in his right foot.

Soon after undergoing tests, doctors diagnosed a fracture in the fifth metatarsal. As a result, the number 5 underwent surgery and began a recovery period with the club's medical department. Now, with rehabilitation underway, the expectation is that Pulgar will be available again around mid-September.

WHAT IS FLAMENGO'S NEXT MATCH?

Without Erick Pulgar available, Flamengo returns to the field next Sunday (31), when they face Grêmio for the 21st round of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The match is scheduled for 4pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, and promises to once again excite the rubro-negro fans.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.