rehabilitation

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.