Ronaldo's stay in Rio de Janeiro as he recovers from injury is set to be extended following news that the AC Milan striker could be out for a further month. Yesterday it was reported that Ronaldo's controversial leave of absence from AC Milan has been extended (see report here), the player opting to stay in Brazil to complete his recovery. Today, sources in the Italian media now contend that this process could take a month or more.
The player's Brazilian doctors are reportedly furious with what they see as the rossoneri's maltreatment of the player, with problems ranging from misdiagnosis to poor rehabilitation being alleged. Originally, the player was said to have a thigh strain that would only keep him out of action for the very earliest part of the season. Now, it transpires that the injury is severe enough to necessitate gene therapy and further rehabilitation - which could take a month or even longer.
However, Milan may be unwilling to allow the player to stay in Brazil as long as he would like. Rossoneri vice-president Adriano Galliani gave consent for Ronaldo to remain in Rio for a matter of days, but he and team manager Carlo Ancelotti may be unwilling to sanction any further delays. Ancelotti had hoped to get Ronaldo back in time for this weekend's clash with Siena, but it seems that he'll need to wait a bit longer.