"De La Cruz set for River return, says Flamengo star's brother" | OneFootball

De La Cruz has a contract with Flamengo until June 2028

Flamengo is preparing to take the field this Wednesday (06), when they face Atlético-MG again in the Copa do Brasil. For the match, Filipe Luís will still not be able to count on De La Cruz. In fact, the brother of the Flamengo player, Carlos Sanchez, stated that the tendency is for the Uruguayan to return to River Plate (ARG).

In a recent appearance on the ‘Guardia Alta’ program, Carlos Sanchez said: “I believe Nico De La Cruz will return to River (Plate)”. It is worth noting that at Flamengo, the midfielder is experiencing a delicate moment since he felt exposed by the club's former doctor, José Luis Runco.

How was De La Cruz's time at River?

It is important to remember that De La Cruz has a great history at River Plate. This is because the player defended the Argentine team from 2017 to 2023, when he transferred to Flamengo. In the Argentine team, the midfielder played in 212 games, starting in 169 of them.

Additionally, for River Plate, De La Cruz accumulated 14,815 minutes on the field. Finally, the Uruguayan scored 36 goals and provided 34 assists to his teammates, totaling 70 direct goal contributions for the Argentine team, where he is considered an idol.

Why is De La Cruz out of Flamengo's game?

In summary, De La Cruz took an important step in his recovery on Monday (04). This is because the midfielder returned to work on the field after treating inflammation in his left knee and resolving personal issues. However, despite the progress, the number 18 still trains separately from the main group.

Currently, Flamengo's plan is to gradually reintegrate De La Cruz into the squad so the midfielder can regain the momentum he had in the first half of the year. At that time, the number 18 played eight consecutive matches for the team. However, since then, he has not been physically able to string together many games.

What is Flamengo's next step?

Still without De La Cruz, Flamengo returns to the field this Wednesday (06) to play the second leg of the Copa do Brasil round of 16. The teams will face off starting at 7 PM (Brasília time) at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte.

Remember that Flamengo is at a disadvantage in the Copa do Brasil round of 16. This is because, in the first leg, at Maracanã, the team lost to Atlético-MG, 1-0. Therefore, now, the team needs to defeat the Minas Gerais team at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte by at least two goals. If they win by one goal, the decision goes to penalties.

Who is broadcasting the match?

Finally, the match between Flamengo and Atlético-MG is broadcast live by SporTV on the subscription channel, as well as by Premiere through pay-per-view. On the other hand, Coluna do Fla TV covers all the post-match details, such as the press conference of coach Filipe Luís, on YouTube.

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