The Brazilian club, Flamengo, has confirmed that Lucas Paqueta will undergo surgery on his right knee after he suffered a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the match against São Paulo on Sunday.
Paqueta was replaced by Matheus Fernandes for the remainder of the match and underwent scans on Monday morning to confirm the severity of the injury. The 24-year-old midfielder is expected to miss between three and four months due to the ACL tear.
The Brazilian international has made over 150 appearances for Flamengo since joining from Internacional in 2018. He has also represented Brazil at under-20 level and earned two caps for the senior team in 2020.
Flamengo have been in good form this season, sitting top of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A table with seven points ahead of their next game against Corinthians on Saturday. However,Campeonato Brasileiro Action the loss of Paqueta could potentially impact their title challenge.
The club's medical staff have already started work on rehabilitating Paqueta's knee, but it is likely that he will be out for several weeks before returning to training. Flamengo have not yet revealed when Paqueta will return to action or how long he may be out for.
In the meantime, the club's management and coaching staff will need to find a replacement for Paqueta, who has become an important player for them over the past few years. They will hope that they can continue to compete for major honours while also providing rehabilitation support for their injured star player.