RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Flamengo's former Brazil international center-back Rever could be sidelined until 2018 because of a knee injury, according to club officials.
The 32-year-old tore the medial ligament of his right knee during Flamengo's 1-0 victory over local rivals Fluminense in their Copa Sudamericana semifinal first leg on Wednesday.
The club's medical staff said he was likely to be out of action for at least six weeks.
"Rever is our captain and he's going to be greatly missed," Flamengo midfielder Everton Ribeiro told reporters on Thursday.
"I spoke with him and he's in a lot of pain. We're hoping that he can recover as quickly as possible."
It is the second time in less than a week that Flamengo have lost a key player due to a knee injury
On Monday, the club's Colombian international winger Orlando Berrio was ruled out for eight months after suffering a ruptured patellar tendon of his right knee.
