Ronaldo sidelined again, scheduled to return on birthday

The star striker for Corinthians, Ronaldo "the phenomenon" will miss yet another match in the Brazilian Championship, announced the club on Thursday.

Unable to play against Fluminense on Wednesday in his team's 2-1 victory, Ronaldo is already excluded from playing on Saturday against Gremio Prudente.

Already seen by critics as being permanently injured, just like Fluminense's striker Fred, Ronaldo has only played in a couple of games in this year's Brazilian Championship, scoring twice.

Still recovering from a calf injury sustained in the first round of the tournament on May 8, Ronaldo will sit out yet another game in order to prepare for the match against Santos on Sept. 22. The date of the match coincides with the striker's 34th birthday. He hopes that the match will be a special one, not only due to his rare appearance on the field, but for a special birthday present in terms of goals scored.

Corinthians' physical therapist Bruno Mazziotti vetoed Ronaldo's participation against Gremio Prudente, hoping to preserve the progress made on the player's injury. Mazziotti believed that Ronaldo would be ready and able to play on his birthday. It will be only his third game of the tournament after 24 rounds if Ronaldo can compete in the match against Santos.

Source: Xinhua