Will Lucas Paquetá be a reserve or starter for Flamengo against Corinthians in the Super Cup? - News Room USA

The midfielder Lucas Paquetá is regularized, travels with the delegation and is at the disposal of the Flemish for the decision of the Brazilian Super Cup against Corinthians, this Sunday (1st), at 4pm (Brasília time), at the Mané Garrincha Stadium, but the The tendency is for him not to start the match as a starter.

ADespite being the most expensive signing in the history of Brazilian football (R$ 263 million) and having already trained at Ninho do Urubu, the athlete arrived at the club a few days ago, will only have two activities with the squad before the game and has not been on the field since January 6, when he was still playing for West Ham. Furthermore, he had been dealing with back pain and spent a period without playing or training with the group in England, which weighs on the physical assessment.

Internally, Flamengo treats the situation with caution and sees the scenario as similar to that of Danilo in last year’s Super Cup, when the newly hired defender started on the bench and was only used in the final stretch of the decision. The expectation is that Paquetá will remain as an option among the reserves and can gain a few minutes in the second half, if Filipe Luís understands that the context of the game allows his use. Therefore, the debut should happen gradually, with ownership becoming more likely for the next commitments, as the player gains rhythm and rapport.

Flamengo x Corinthians: how the teams arrive

Flamengo arrives under pressure due to the irregular start of 2025. The team led by Filipe Luís has not yet managed to get going, debuting in the Brazilian Championship with a defeat to São Paulo and also facing difficulties in the Carioca Championship. Amid this scenario, Flamengo’s great hope is the possible debut of Lucas Paquetá, an old fan acquaintance, who can reinforce the midfield and raise the team’s level. Even with recent fluctuations, the club carries the weight of being the current champion of the Supercup, a title won in the last edition with a 3-1 victory over Botafogo, in addition to competing in the tournament for the seventh time in its history.

Rubro-Negro will have important absences. Danilo, Ayrton Lucas, Saúl and De la Cruz remain in the medical department.

On the other hand, Corinthians also did not start the Brasileirão on the right foot, as they were defeated by Bahia in the opening round. On the other hand, the performance in the Campeonato Paulista is more consistent, with the team occupying fourth place and showing progress under the command of Dorival Júnior. Champion of the Copa do Brasil, Timão tries to transform this more stable moment into confidence to fight for the national title at the beginning of the year.

Timão will not be able to count on José Martínez, who is still in Venezuela, nor on injured defender Cacá. The trend is for Memphis Depay to return to the starting lineup, and the recently signed Kaio César also appears as an option.

The history of the Super Cup holds a curious chapter between the two clubs. Flamengo and Corinthians decided the competition in 1991, when the São Paulo team came out on top by winning 1-0, winning the trophy on that occasion.

Flamengo x Corinthians: lineups

Probable Flamengo lineup: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro; Pulgar, Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Carrascal, Plata and Pedro. Technical: Filipe Luís.

Probable Corinthians lineup: Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, Gustavo Henrique, André Ramalho (or Gabriel Paulista) and Matheus Bidu; Raniele, Carrillo, Breno Bidon and Garro; Memphis Depay and Yuri Alberto. Technical: Dorival Junior.