[D-Kin]

Leonardo gives injury update Tuesday 19 February, 2008

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Milan director Leonardo has given the latest on the Rossoneri’s three stricken Brazilians – Ronaldo, Alexandre Pato and Nelson Dida.

Ronaldo is still in hospital in Paris after surgery on a severed knee tendon and faces a long road to recovery.

“He is in hospital as it has only been a few days since his operation and that causes a lot of stress,” Leonardo told Sky Sport Italia.

“Ronnie is a strong man who has fought back from big injuries before.

“He seems calmer and I can see that he isn’t thinking about the long term. I think that he will have to focus day to day and take each step at a time to get through this difficult situation.

“He isn’t talking about whether he will return and I think that he doesn’t know what he will be able to do yet.”

In 2001, sports doctor Ruben Dario Oliva suggested that Ronaldo has fragile tendons – a comment that has haunted the Brazilian.

“I’m not a doctor and I won’t even allow myself to argue with someone who knows what he is talking about,” Leonardo began.

“But I don’t know if Oliva has visited Ronaldo. All I know is that he has had tests on his tendons and weaknesses have never shown up. There has never been any confirmation for that hypothesis.

“He actually has a very strong constitution. Everyone says that he is fat, but he is actually just big as he has enormous muscles.”

Striking revelation Pato’s diagnosis is far simpler and the Diavolo new boy should be fit to play some part against Arsenal tomorrow night.

“He still needs a bit of time, but he is training and that is a good sign,” Leonardo stressed. “With an ankle you still get lingering pains that annoy you – that’s natural.”

Dida’s season has been a catalogue of misfortune and his latest indignity came when he injured himself which sitting on the bench at Parma’s Stadio Tardini.

“He hasn’t been to hospital,” the former midfielder revealed.

“He was sat badly on the bench on the edge of the seat and he felt this pain when he tried to change position.

“He had already had a small problem in the past with his back. He is still in some pain, but it’s not serious and not really even an injury.”

channel4.com - Football Italia