Ronaldo makes long-awaited return

Ronaldo makes long-awaited return
(Reuters) Thursday 5 March 2009
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Brazilian striker Ronaldo played his first competitive game since suffering a knee injury 13 months ago when he came on as a second half substitute for Corinthians in a Copa Brazil game on Wednesday.

Ronaldo, who suffered the injury playing for AC Milan in a Italian Serie A game in February last year, came on in the 66th minute of the 2-0 win away to modest Itumbiara. The 32-year-old joined Corinthians in December in a surprise move and has taken nearly three months to reach match fitness. Ronaldo was involved in another off-field controversy last week when he was fined by the club for arriving late at the team hotel after a day off.

Corinthians were already 2-0 ahead when Ronaldo came on, Chicao and Andre Santos having scored either side of half-time. Wearing his favourite number nine shirt, Ronaldo had only a few touches of the ball in an unspectacular debut.

The much-anticipated return to action was marred by an ugly media scrum following the match that left Ronaldo nursing a black eye, having been injured by a microphone as around two dozen reporters and cameramen surrounded him on the pitch for interviews at the end of the game. Pictures showed Ronaldo being struck as he was escorted off and one showed him with a badly bruised and swollen right eye. Following the incident, he left the stadium without talking to the media.

"He had a good debut, moved well and tried a few dribbles," Corinthians coach Mano Menezes told reporters. The former Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan player had previously suffered two serious injuries to his other knee and many observers speculated that he would not recover from the latest setback.