Flamengo released its list of available players on Wednesday for Thursday's Copa do Brasil visit to Vitória, with the second leg set for 21:30 at Barradão. The Rio club goes into the match with the edge after winning the first leg 1-0 at Maracanã, and a draw is enough to move it through.
The biggest absence is Gonzalo Plata, who was left out because of pain in his left knee. Flamengo said he suffered a strong blow there against Grêmio and is not fit to play on Thursday. The club's own update was direct: after the trauma in the left knee in the match against Grêmio, the player still has pain in the area and will not be available for this game.
That match against Grêmio last Sunday also shaped the rest of the squad list. Alex Sandro is back after serving a suspension in the Brasileirão, while Wallace Yan returned after missing the last two games by technical decision. Ayrton Lucas, who left that game with muscle pain, traveled to Salvador even though Flamengo said he has no diagnosed injury.
The roster still leaves two familiar names on the outside. Paquetá and Pulgar did not face Vitória and remain in partial work with the group. Flamengo said Paquetá is expected to return only the following week for the Libertadores match against Estudiantes, while Pulgar may be ready for next weekend's Brasileirão match against Athletico-PR. Arrascaeta is also still in recovery after surgery for a fractured clavicle and is doing physiotherapy at Ninho do Urubu.
The tie is a round-of-16 Copa do Brasil matchup, and the teams are playing for a place in the quarterfinals. Flamengo's 1-0 cushion from Maracanã changes the shape of the night at Barradão: Vitória needs to force the issue, while Flamengo can manage the game knowing one goal already sits on its side of the ledger. That same kind of second-leg pressure has been the point in other cup ties this week, including Coritiba vs Santos and Fluminense against Operário Ferroviário at Maracanã.
The imbalance is real, but Flamengo's list also shows how quickly a tight schedule can thin a squad. One knee complaint, one suspension served and one recovery track can alter the plan for a knockout game in a matter of days. If Flamengo gets through in Salvador, it will do so with a patched-up roster and the quiet advantage of having handled the first leg exactly as it needed to.
