Fluminense Football Club named their starting XI for Sunday’s (12) Maracanã friendly against Bahia, with veteran center-back Thiago Silva on the bench and Canobbio sidelined. The 4 p.m. kickoff will air live on SporTV 2, Premiere, and GE TV as both sides use the fixture to fine-tune for the second half of the Serie A season. The Tricolor arrive in 5th place with 64 points from 19 wins, seven draws, and 12 losses in 38 games, and a recent run of WWWDW.

Who starts and who sits?

The big talking point was whether Thiago Silva would start or remain on the bench. The answer is clear: the No. 3 will start from the substitutes’ bench. Fluminense Football Club’s confirmed lineup reads: Fábio; Guga, Jemmes, Millán, Renê; Hércules, Martinelli, Lucho Acosta; Serna, Savarino, John Kennedy.

Canobbio, the lone absentee, missed the session after his World Cup duties and only returned to training this week. Over at Bahia, Marco Moreno is still working on his fitness while Everton Ribeiro remains out. Rogério Ceni, though, can call on fresh faces such as new goalkeeper Guigo Herrera and forward Alejo Véliz, who could both make their debuts.

Why this friendly matters to Fluminense

The Maracanã outing is Zubeldía’s final tuning session before the Serie A restarts. Fluminense have already scored 50 goals and conceded 39, for a +11 goal difference, yet sit 15 points behind table-topping Flamengo. Reintegrating Canobbio and testing Silva’s role off the bench are key variables for the coach.

What’s next after the Bahia clash?

The Sunday fixture is a live-lab for Zubeldía. With 64 points in 5th, but a recent WWWDW run hinting at inconsistency, the Tricolor need every minute to sharpen before the season’s run-in.