Ronaldo goes under knife

United ace braced for surgery on right ankle

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 7th July 2008

cristiano ronaldo

Ronaldo: Dutch surgery

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Cristiano Ronaldo will undergo surgery on his problematic right ankle on Monday.

The Manchester United ace is set to have the operation in Amsterdam in an attempt to cure an injury which has been causing him pain for some time.

The Portuguese superstar had initially delayed going under knife in order to go on holiday following his exploits at Euro 2008, but has accepted that it has now become a necessity.

United had hoped that the winger would be able to recover from the knock without the need for surgery, but have been given no further option.

The news that the 23-year-old will be sidelined throughout their pre-season preparations will come as a major blow to the club, especially as Real Madrid's interest in the player continues to linger on.

Having Ronaldo back in England, and back in the first-team fold, would have allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to delve deeper into the forward's motives this summer.

Examined

However, the procedure is expected to keep him out of action for up to six weeks, taking him through to a week before the start of the 2008/09 season.

A spokesman for the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, where the operation will take place, confirmed that Ronaldo had arrived at the hospital and that he would likely be allowed home on Tuesday.

"He should be operated on this morning (Monday) or maybe at the moment as we speak, I'm not sure exactly," Johan Kortenray told L'Equipe.

"He arrived here yesterday evening to be examined. He'll be able to return home tomorrow."