Flamengo rocked by Pulgar injury bombshell | OneFootball

According to Globo, Flamengo midfielder Erick Pulgar faces a significant spell on the sidelines after suffering a right foot injury during the club’s Club World Cup defeat to Bayern Munich in Miami. Medical examinations confirmed Pulgar has fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, forcing him to be substituted before halftime and raising immediate concerns about his availability for upcoming domestic and continental fixtures.

Pulgar’s injury occurred late in the first half—at the 42-minute mark—as he brought down Harry Kane with a hard challenge, which also saw him shown a yellow card. Experiencing considerable pain, Pulgar pointed to his foot as he made his way to the sidelines and was assisted off the pitch on a stretcher. He was quickly taken to a Miami hospital, where the fracture was diagnosed.

After leaving the hospital, Pulgar returned to Flamengo’s team hotel using crutches. The Chilean midfielder is scheduled to fly back to Brazil with the squad, where his injury will be reassessed in Rio de Janeiro to formalize a treatment plan and estimate a recovery timeline. Early indications, based on typical cases of fifth metatarsal fractures, suggest Pulgar could be out of action for around three months.

The timing is a blow for Flamengo, with Pulgar’s unavailability casting doubt over his participation in key fixtures. He is now a major doubt for the Copa do Brasil round of 16 tie against Atlético-MG set for late July, as well as for the Libertadores clash with Internacional in August. Allan was brought on to replace Pulgar against Bayern, and with this new injury concern, Flamengo may be forced to seek reinforcements in the transfer market as they reorganize their midfield options.

The incident compounds what was already a difficult evening for Flamengo, who exited the Club World Cup after a 4-2 defeat, with Pulgar unfortunately involved in the opening own goal. As the squad returns home, the focus shifts not only to regrouping on the pitch but also to managing the absence of a key midfielder in Pulgar for a critical phase of the campaign.

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