- De Arrascaeta fractured his wrist and is doubtful for the second leg against Estudiantes. If he is unable to play and Flamengo advance, the Final could mark his return.
- Eight Uruguayan players and one coach remain in contention: Piquerez provided an assist in Palmeiras' 2-1 victory, Muslera kept a clean sheet in La Plata, and Canobbio needs to inspire a comeback with Fluminense.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta missed the match in La Plata and remains doubtful for the return leg at the Maracanã. The Uruguayan fractured his left wrist during a friendly with his national team. However, his recovery timeline leaves the door open for a return, particularly if Flamengo reach the Final on Saturday, 28 November, in Montevideo, the city where his journey in the competition began.
He made his CONMEBOL Libertadores debut in 2014 with Defensor Sporting, making 12 appearances and scoring twice. Twelve years later, he has surpassed 100 appearances and scored 20 goals, while lifting the trophy in 2019, 2022 and 2025 with Flamengo. According to Opta, he has been directly involved in a goal in each of the club's last three knockout ties in the competition. Most recently, he scored the equaliser with a header against Independiente del Valle to make it 1-1 and seal Flamengo's place in the Semi-finals.
He is not the only Uruguayan looking towards the heart of his homeland. Eight players and one coach from Uruguay feature among the four semi-finalists, and the first legs left each of them in a different position on the road to the Final.
Those closest to reaching it are the players at Palmeiras, who secured a 2-1 victory at the Maracanã. Joaquín Piquerez played a key role: in the 45th minute of the first half, he delivered a low cross on the counterattack that José Manuel López converted at the far post. The São Paulo side thus scored with their first shot of the match. The full-back, who has made more than 250 appearances for the 'Verdão' and wore the captain's armband in Quito during the Quarter-finals, had played every minute of his four appearances before the first leg. The tie will be decided on Wednesday, 21 October, at the Nubank Parque. Emiliano Martínez, who has played 239 minutes across five matches in this edition, did not feature in Rio de Janeiro.
In La Plata, the goalless draw left everything to play for, with two Uruguayans at the heart of Estudiantes' story. Fernando Muslera turned 40 in June and joined Estudiantes after nearly two decades at Lazio and Galatasaray and five World Cups with Uruguay. He left Nacional for Italy at a young age, having already featured in the 2007 CONMEBOL Libertadores. Nearly two decades later, he returned to South America with the dream of lifting the trophy for the first time. He has played every minute of the 'Pincha's' campaign in this edition, went into the first leg with 26 saves and kept a clean sheet against the reigning champions on Thursday. Further up the pitch, Tiago Palacios, an Argentine-born naturalised Uruguayan, returned to action. He made his first appearance in the competition with Montevideo City Torque in 2022 and is one of Estudiantes' leading scorers with three goals. Making his comeback from a muscle injury, he remained on the pitch until the 68th minute.
On the touchline is Alexander Medina, who in 2009 was Nacional's centre-forward when Estudiantes eliminated the Uruguayan side in the Semi-finals. He even scored against the club he now coaches at the Estadio Centenario. "It seems fate has a role to play for me too, because during that campaign I was on the other side and had to suffer against Estudiantes," he said in São Paulo after eliminating Corinthians. As a coach, he had already reached this stage in 2022 with Vélez, only to be knocked out by Flamengo.
On the opposite side, Flamengo have two more Uruguayans alongside De Arrascaeta. Guillermo Varela scored a volley against Estudiantes at the Maracanã in the first leg of the 2025 Quarter-finals and has featured exclusively as a substitute in this edition. Nicolás de la Cruz, meanwhile, recovered from a fractured collarbone ahead of the World Cup. Neither player featured in La Plata.
Agustín Canobbio faces the steepest climb. The Fluminense forward went into the first leg leading his team in six statistical categories, including involvements in sequences ending in a shot (34), goals (two) and duels won (47). According to Opta, he has also made more runs in behind opposition defenders than any other player in this edition, with 75. At the Maracanã, he came close to equalising with a header from a corner that Carlos Miguel saved in the 60th minute, before making way for Kevin Serna three minutes later. To reach Montevideo, the 'Tricolor' must win in São Paulo.
The permutations are straightforward. The second legs, on Wednesday, 21 October, in São Paulo and Thursday, 22 October, in Rio de Janeiro, will determine who makes the journey. Whatever the outcomes, both finalists will have at least one Uruguayan player in their ranks and, should Estudiantes advance, a Uruguayan coach as well. For all of them, the Final would be on home soil. For De Arrascaeta, it could also mark his return to action in the city where his journey began.
