Injured Madrid pair out of Brazil squad
Reuters - Monday 07 November 2011, 02:57
World Cup playmaker Kaka
and his Real Madrid team-mate Marcelo will miss two Brazil
friendlies over the next nine days through injury, the Brazilian
Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Sunday.
Real coach Jose Mourinho had already said on Saturday that
former World Player of the Year Kaka would have to wait a little
longer before making his return to international football with
Brazil as he was nursing a calf injury.
"The players are prevented from playing due to muscular
injuries, as confirmed by scans sent by Real Madrid to the
Brazilian national team's medical department," the CBF said on
its website.
It added that Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo would
miss Thursday's match in Gabon because he had not obtained proof
of vaccination needed to enter the African country and would
only be available to play against Egypt in Qatar.
Brazil, the 2014 World Cup hosts, meet Gabon in Libreville
on Thursday and Egypt in Doha four days later and Kaka was set
to make his first international appearance since their World Cup
quarter-final exit in South Africa last year.
"He wouldn't have time to recover. It's an injury that has
nothing to do with the serious problems of the past," Mourinho
said. "It's a small injury typical of those that happen every
season and he's going to stay here 15 days to recover."
Kaka has regained his place in the Real squad recently and
put in some impressive performances, after a string of injury
problems blighted his 2010/11 season.