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Brazil drop Ronaldo for exhibition games

Ronaldo, bothered by a thigh injury, was left out of the Brazilian national team on Tuesday for two exhibition games against The Netherlands, Brazilian media reported.

The star striker, who plays for Internazionale in Italy, arrived in Salvador, 1,200 km northeast of Rio, where the national team will play the first of their two games against The Netherlands on Saturday, complaining of pain in his left thigh. The second game will be played in the central west city of Goiana.

Ronaldo presented the national team copies of medical examinations done in Milan and did not seem overly optimistic about his chances of playing, the Estado news agency reported.

Ronaldo was apparently injured on May 23 in the Italian Championships against Udinese, and the injury worsened during a game against Bologna on the May 27.

National team doctor Jose Luis Runco was quoted as saying that the injury was relatively minor and that Ronaldo should be able to join the team for the Copa America soccer tournament, which begins on June 29 in Paraguay.

AP