BELO HORIZONTE, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Former Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista is set to make his debut for Brazilian side Cruzeiro on Wednesday following his summer move from Malaga.

The 31-year-old is likely to begin on the bench in the Copa do Brasil clash against Flamengo at the Mineirao stadium.

"I'm really anxious to play and have been training strongly over the past two weeks to improve my fitness," Baptista said on Tuesday.

"We are already approaching the half-way point of the season but I'm confident I'll have no problem adapting quickly."

Baptista, a former Brazil international, joined Cruzeiro at the beginning of the month after two seasons at Malaga.