RIO DE JANEIRO, Nov 12 (Reuters) -
Ronaldo missed training with Brazil for personal reasons on Wednesday morning
while his spokesman said the Real Madrid striker was close to separating from
his wife Milene Domingues.
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto
Parreira confirmed that the 26-year-old striker had been excused on Wednesday as
the world champions began their warm-up for Sunday's World Cup qualifier against
Peru.
"We understand," Parreira told
Brazilian television in the mountain retreat of Teresopolis.
"It's important that when he
arrives, his head is in the right place, that he is at ease, because he's very
important for us."
Parreira, who has already lost
left-back Roberto Carlos and striker Ronaldinho through injury, denied that
Ronaldo was setting a bad example or being allowed privileges.
"How many times has he failed to
turn up in the past? None," said Parreira.
Ronaldo's absence came as Brazilian
media reported that he was close to separating from Milene, who he married in
December 1999.
The couple have a three-year-old
son called Ronald.
"They could end up separating," his
spokesman Rodrigo Paiva told Reuters by telephone from Teresopolis.
Speculation has been mounting about
the pair for the last year.
After scoring both goals in
Brazil's 2-0 win against Germany in last year's World Cup final, Ronaldo
dedicated the win to his physiotherapist Nilton Petroni but did not mention his
wife.
Before she met Ronaldo, Milene had
become known as the "Queen of the Keep-ups", displaying her talents for keeping
a ball in the air on numerous TV shows.
Milene was at the centre of
controversy in September when she was included in the Brazil squad for the
women's World Cup.
Team officials admitted she had
been included as much for the publicity she attracted as for her footballing
ability.
By Brian Homewood