Rogério Ceni bracing for impact of international call-ups on Flamengo | OneFootball

Flamengo’s brilliant start to the season continued on Saturday as they retained the Campeonato Carioca with a 3-1 victory over Fluminense in the second leg of their final.

A brace of goals from Gabriel Barbosa, allied to a late strike by João Gomes, saw the Rubro-Negro lift the silverware on an aggregate score of 4-2.

It means Flamengo have now added two trophies to the cabinet this year, following on from their Supercopa do Brasil win on penalties over Palmeiras.

While it has been nothing but good news so far, manager Rogério Ceni is wary of the effect upcoming international tournaments are going to have on his squad.

With the Copa América, World Cup Qualifiers and Tokyo Olympics all on the schedule, Flamengo will find themselves without many of their top performers as the domestic season continues.

“I think we are going to spend a month, the one in June, difficult,” Ceni said, per Gazeta Esportiva.

“As the squad is lean and short, we are trying to talk to, during this period, to have one or the other player for us to reinforce our squad.”

There is also the issue of trying to hold on to the players they already have, with Marseille in talks to buy Gerson and Giorgian De Arrascaeta wanted by Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.