Flamengo coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo is expected to rest players in tonight’s Copa do Brasil last 16 second leg tie against Coritiba.
The Rubro-Negro trail 3-0 from the first leg and their chances of reaching the quarter-finals, and successfully defending the title they won last November, are slim.
The tactical move should be taken with careful consideration applied to the club’s excellent recent league form. Flamengo have won their last five matches in a row in the Campeonato Brasileiro, and have climbed from a seemingly hopeless position in the relegation zone to ninth place in the table.
The side are now looking up rather than back over their shoulder, and currently sit just eight points off a place in the G-4 and next season’s Copa Libertadores.
However, Luxemburgo guaranteed that whichever side he puts out at the Maracanã tonight will go into the match completely motivated and focused to win and try and help the reigning cup holders progress to the last eight of the competition.
The former Brazil and Real Madrid boss also admitted fatigue could be an issue, and it is something he will be assessing before he makes his final team announcement.
“The level of fatigue among the players is high and we are going to see up until the final minutes who we will be able to select or not. It is simple, there is no mystery,” he said.
