The recreational training session held this Saturday morning at Gávea was anything but relaxing for midfielder Roger. The player, who left the field with pain in his right thigh during Thursday's 4-0 rout of Juventude, was ruled out by the medical department and will not face Goiás this Sunday at Maracanã in the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship.

Coach Joel Santana left the decision on who would replace the player only moments before the match. Defensive midfielder Léo Medeiros, midfielder Toró, and forward Obina are the coach's options.

"We still have time until Sunday, and I'd rather think about it more before making any decisions. I'm upset because only Renato Augusto was recovering, and now we have this problem with Roger. On the other hand, we have good options, and I'm convinced that whoever comes in has everything it takes to play a great game."

The coach said he foresees difficulties against Goiás, but, once again, he emphasized that the presence of the fans - around 50 thousand red-blacks are expected at Maracanã - will once again be important for achieving the fourth consecutive victory at the stadium.

"Although it's a large stadium, considered neutral by many, for Flamengo the Maracanã is our home. Our obligation is to impose our football, play well, respect the opponent and manage to take another step away from the relegation zone," he projected.