Vinícius Jr., the Brazilian forward who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, has suffered an ankle injury that could keep him out for several weeks.
The news comes after the 22-year-old striker was forced off during Flamengo's match against Santos on Wednesday night. He was replaced by Bruno Henrique and it is believed that he will be assessed further over the weekend.
It is not yet clear when Vinícius may return to action, but given his importance to Flamengo, it is likely that he will be out for some time.
The news is a blow for the club, which has struggled this season without their top scorer. However, they have a strong squad and should be able to cope until Vinícius returns.
It remains to be seen how this will affect the club's chances of securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores, where they were runners-up last year. However, with a number of players injured, the competition could be fierce.
In the meantime, Flamengo will need to find a replacement for Vinícius, and there are plenty of options available. The club's coach, Roger Figueroa, has already spoken about the possibility of using other strikers, such as Paulo Dário and Lucas Mauro, in his attack.
However, it is difficult to predict exactly what the future holds for Vinícius, as injuries can happen at any time and the road to recovery can take months. In the meantime, the club will continue to hope for the best and work towards a successful end to the season.