Ronaldinho sidelined for Portugal clash

Feb 6, 2007, 0:02 GMT

London, England - Ronaldinho will not take part in Brazil's showdown with Portugal on Tuesday at the Emirates Stadium due to a calf injury.

The Brazilian playmaker has started just once in the team's last five internationals, and will be a spectator once again when the team meets up with former head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari in a much-hyped friendly.

Scolari has downplayed the game, and has said that he is treating it just like any other, this despite the fact that he guided Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title.

Portugal won the last meeting between the two sides, 2-1 in a friendly in March 2003. The club is unbeaten under newly appointed coach Dunga, but that unblemished mark could take a hit without the brilliance of Ronaldinho in the midfield.

PSV Eindhoven defender Alex Rodrigo will also be absent from the lineup with a thigh injury, but the coach has said that he will not call up replacements. Striker Adriano has been recalled for the first time since the World Cup, but once again, Ronaldo, who has just joined AC Milan, has been left off the team.

The absence of Ronaldinho also means that Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will be the best midfielder on the pitch. Ronaldo has been in sensational form this season for Manchester United, scoring 15 goals and creating havoc among Premiership defenses with his pace. Ronaldo is fast becoming one of the top players in the world, and will have a great stage to prove this on Tuesday.

© 2007 The Sports Network