Ronaldo casts doubt on playing future
PARIS, France — Brazilian World Cup hero Ronaldo said he was unsure whether he will play again after suffering a serious knee injury last week.
The AC Milan striker cast doubt on his playing future as he left a Paris hospital where he underwent surgery to repair a ruptured left knee tendon.
Physically it will be difficult and mentally it will be very difficult, said Ronaldo.
I have not decided what should be done, he added.
My will is to keep on playing. My heart tells me this, but my body is showing me signs that it’s tired, that it is asking for rest.
The 31-year-old was injured in Milan’s 1-1 draw with Livorno in the Serie A last week, collapsing in a heap just minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The top-scorer in World Cup history with 15 goals for Brazil, Ronaldo had a successful two-hour operation last Thursday and followed that with eight days of physical therapy.
More treatment will follow in a specialized center, but Ronaldo will not be able to play again for at least eight or nine months.
If, at the end, I am back in shape physically and I can play, so much the better, Ronaldo said.
Otherwise, it will be a difficult decision to take, but that will be the decision.
Ronaldo’s career has been blighted by injury, the most serious a tear of his right knee tendon eight years ago.
He recovered to lead Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, scoring two goals in the final win over Germany.
Futher fitness problems meant he was less of a force in the 2006 finals, but he still scored three goals to increase his tally to 61 in 97 internationals.
But he has played sporadically since joining AC Milan from Real Madrid a little more than a year ago.
The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year showed glimpes of his old self in scoring twice in a 5-2 win over Napoli last month, but it may prove to be his swansong. E-mail to a friend
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