Chapecoense survivor Ruschel makes competitive return

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Alan Ruschel made his competitive return on Wednesday, helping Chapecoense hold Flamengo to a goalless draw in the Copa Sudamericana.

Plane crash survivor Alan Ruschel played his first official match since the disaster as Chapecoense drew with Flamengo in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana last-16 tie.

Ruschel was one of three players to survive – along with Neto and Jackson Follman – after a plane carrying the Chapecoense squad, technical commission and a number of journalists for the first leg of the Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional crashed en route to Medellin two days before the match was due to take place, killing 71 people on board, in November.

Ruschel completed 73 minutes before he was replaced, having been an unused substitute in Chapecoense's Brazilian Serie A loss to Cruzeiro last week.