AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini has expressed hope that
injury-hit Brazilian striker Ronaldo will be ready for the team's opening match
in the Club World Cup next Thursday.
"I feel sorry and concerned that a player like Ronaldo, who has experienced many
world-class competitions, cannot play to his potential," Maldini said yesterday.
Ronaldo has missed two training sessions with the team since the European
Champions League and Super-Cup winners arrived here late Thursday for the
tournament of continental champions.
The 31-year-old dubbed "Phenomenon" has featured in just one match this season,
starting against Cagliari about 10 days ago in his return from a thigh problem.
But he picked up a calf injury in training last week.
Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani earlier said Ronaldo had "a small
contraction."
"Ronaldo's calf has got considerably better but he still has a problem," Maldini
said. "I will pay attention to his recovery from the problem."
AC Milan and Boca Juniors of Argentina are seeded into the semi-finals set for
the middle of next week. The tournament kick-off yesterday with a play-off
between Iran's Sepahan and Waitakere United of New Zealand which the former won.
Sepahan will face Asian champions Urawa Reds of Japan in the quarter-final on
Milan's side of the seven-club tournament.
Meanwhile, AC Milan insisted the Club World Cup was as important to them as the
Champions League, and winning it was their major goal of the season.
"We have prepared for months to compete in the Club World Cup.
We feel as tense as in the Champions League final and we think this is equally
important," vice-president Adriano Galliani said.
With the Serie-A looking more and more like a two-horse race between Inter Milan
and AS Roma, he added that winning the Club World Cup was crucial.
"We have a whole week to get rid of the jet-lag and we will make every effort to
win this demanding event," he said.
"We regard this as the biggest goal of the season."
Milan arrived Thursday and went straight into a light workout, just two days
after beating Celtic 1-0 in a Champions League game with striker Filippo Inzaghi
scoring a record-breaking 63rd goal in European competition.
It was a surprisingly early arrival for the Champions League and Super Cup
winners, who have a bye into the semi-finals on Thursday next week.
The other semi-final seeds, South American champions Boca Juniors of Argentina,
arrived early yesterday.
In the past European clubs, busy at the height of Champions League and domestic
action, have usually arrived just days before their first match.
South American clubs have traditionally been more enthusiastic about the
three-year-old Club World Cup and its predecessor the Intercontinental Cup,
contested between the champions of Europe and South America. |