Brazilian striker Ronaldo said he has not given up hope of playing again despite a serious knee injury.

The 31-year-old ruptured a tendon while playing for AC Milan and will be out for at least nine months. "I haven't decided yet what I should do but I'm ready for anything," he said after undergoing surgery in Paris.

"I have the will to carry on playing, this is what my heart is telling me to do. But my body is giving me signs that it is tiring and needs rest."  Ronaldo, the three-times World Player of the Year, has suffered two serious knee injuries in the past and this latest setback led to fears that his playing career could be over.

"I know that physically and mentally it will be very hard," said Ronaldo of his rehabilitation.
"If at the end of the day, I have recovered and can play again, fine. If not, it will be a very hard decision to make but it will have to be the decision."

Eric Rolland, the surgeon who operated on Ronaldo, said the striker would "not be able to run before up to five months and not be able to train before nine months." He added: "Anything can happen in the next three months because surgery is not an exact science. It will all depend on the rehabilitation.

"The recovery will not depend on Ronaldo for the first six months. It will all depend on him afterwards. Psychologically, he is a remarkable man."
Ronaldo sustained two serious injuries to his right knee while playing for Inter Milan in 1999 and 2000.

However, he recovered to help Brazil win the 2002 World Cup, scoring both goals in their 2-0 win over Germany in the final. He went on to play for Real Madrid before joining AC Milan in January 2007.

Friday, 22 February 2008
By BBC News