AC Milan forward Ronaldo ruptured a tendon in his left knee in a
1-1 draw with Livorno yesterday, and the Brazilian was carried off
the field crying.
The injury occurred two minutes after Ronaldo entered the game
during a play that earned Milan an equalizing penalty.
Milan disclosed the injury in a statement after he was taken to
the Galeazzi hospital, saying the full extent of the problem was
unknown.
"It's a problem with the tendon in his left knee, not the knee
that was operated on in the past," Milan vice president Adriano
Galliani told Italy's Sky TV. "The severity of it isn't known yet,
but it's a serious problem."
A three-time FIFA world player of the year, Ronaldo has battled
serious injuries throughout his career.
He has played sparingly since joining Milan from Real Madrid in
January 2007. Yesterday's match was only his fifth in Serie A this
season.
Ronaldo injured his thigh July 31 during preseason training. He
returned in November but has been on and off the roster due to a
series of recurring problems.
Midfielder Nico Pulzetti celebrated his 24th birthday by putting
Livorno ahead in the 50th minute and Andrea Pirlo equalized with a
penalty for Milan in the 61st.
With 37 points, Milan moved within one point of fourth-place
Fiorentina and Italy's final European Champions League berth for
next season. Livorno moved into a tie for 14th place with Lazio,
with 23 points each.
"We did a lot of good things in the first half, but we also
spent a lot of energy, which cost us when they went ahead in the
second half," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "But a draw was OK
tonight. We're not in great shape with all these games and we've
got a lot of injuries."
Starting with the youngest attack in Serie A, 18-year-old
Alberto Paloschi and 25-year-old Alberto Gilardino, Milan dominated
the first half but had several shots parried by Livorno goalkeeper
Marco Amelia, Gianluigi Buffon's backup for Italy.
Pulzetti changed the tone of the match with a long, angled shot
following a weak clearing attempt by Khaka Kaladze with a
header.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti replaced Paloschi and Gilardino with
Filippo Inzaghi and Ronaldo in the 56th and Milan was awarded a
penalty two minutes later.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily February 14,
2008)