Kleberson ruled out of Brazil game
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- Brazilian midfielder Kleberson has been ruled out of next week's World Cup qualifier away to Paraguay because of a knee injury.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on its website that it had received a message from Manchester United saying he was unable to play.
The CBF, which in previous such cases has insisted players travel to Brazil to be checked by their own doctors, said the player would not be replaced.
The world champions face Paraguay on Wednesday in what is always a difficult fixture for them. They were beaten 2-1 on their last visit to Asuncion in July 2000.
Brazil also lost 1-0 at home to Paraguay in their first match after winning the 2002 World Cup and the same scoreline at under-23 level in January cost them a place at this year's Olympic Games.
Paraguay lead the single South American qualifying group with nine points from four games, one more than Brazil and Argentina.
Most of Brazil's players will travel to Paraguay after playing for their European clubs at the weekend.
As the match is taking place on a date allocated for friendlies by FIFA, both Brazil and Paraguay are only entitled to their players 48 hours in advance.
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who has already said that his squad will have a single training session before the match, put a brave face on the situation.
"We have to get better in the face of difficulties," he told Globo television on Friday.
"We can get over this. We'll just have to show that, when everyone thinks that the situation is against us, we can pull through."
Parreira said he was encouraged by Ronaldo's return to the Real Madrid side after a thigh injury on Wednesday and the recent form of Ronaldinho for Barcelona and Kaka for AC Milan.
"Brazil is very well served," he said.
