Coach Joel Santana confirmed Friday afternoon in Gávea that striker Obina will replace Souza in Saturday's match against Sport at Maracanã Stadium, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship. Souza is suspended for two games and will only return to the team next weekend against Internacional.

"Obina naturally takes Souza's place. Everyone knows the special affection I have for him and I'm sure he's ready to give his all again. Roger will also return to midfield and I'll decide the rest of the team moments before the game," said the coach, who stated that he considers the fact that he's the favorite to take the field a dangerous situation for the team.

"If we go in and play our best, we have everything we need to play a great game and beat our opponent. The problem is that a team doesn't always play at its best. Furthermore, we'll be going in with the burden of responsibility of having to beat a strong team, one that's ahead of us in the standings. We have to be cautious."