CRUEL FLASHBACK: AC Milan's talismanic Brazilian forward Ronaldo writhes in pain as he lies on the turf after rupturing a tendon in his left knee during the Serie A clash against Livorno at the San Siro in Milan on Wednesday.Photo: AFP

Revisiting his injury-blighted past, Brazilian veteran Ronaldo prepared to fly to Paris for surgery on Thursday after rupturing a tendon in his right knee during AC Milan's 1-1 draw with Livorno, media reports said.
Ronaldo will almost certainly miss the remainder of the season with Gazetta dello Sport reporting overnight that the 31-year-old faces nine months on the sidelines.
Renowned surgeon Professor Gerard Saillant will supervise the surgery, according to the Ansa news agency.
Ansa said Ronaldo, who joined Milan in January last year from Real Madrid, arrived at Milan airport around 0900 GMT along with his fiancee and club official and compatriot Leonardo, as well as club doctor Massimiliano Sala and physiotherapist Bruno Mazziotti.
Italian media speculated whether, after the catalogue of knee injuries that "Il Fenomeno" has suffered in the past, Ronaldo's latest setback might spell the end of the world champion's career.
In November 1999 and again five months later, he suffered similar problems but returned after the best part of two years on the sidelines following surgery by Professor Saillant to lift the World Cup with Brazil, scoring in the final win over Germany and finishing tournament top scorer.
"It is Ronaldo who asked to be operated on in Paris by the team that put his right knee straight eight years ago," Jean-Pierre Meersseman, chief of AC Milan's medical staff, revealed overnight Wednesday.
AC Milan owner and former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said he believed Ronaldo would be back.
"I spoke with Ronaldo yesterday (Wednesday) and said he must believe in himself. He has extraordinary physical potential and I think he can be back within months to being the champion that he is," Berlusconi said.
With Ronaldo having suffered the bulk of his previous serious injuries playing for Inter Milan before heading to Real, his latest setback has found sympathy at his old club on the black and blue half of town and Inter chairman Massimo Moratti on Thursday wished him well.
"I hope he gets better soon. But clearly one can at the moment speak of a career in danger, as one said previously first time round (in 1999 and 2000)," Moratti said.
"But Ronaldo is tough mentally and physically and the surgeons know him, while he knows what to expect, which should help things," Moratti hoped.
Ronaldo was injured just minutes after entering the fray as a second-half substitute and was taken to hospital.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti refused overnight to call time on Ronaldo's career.
"We're all very sorry and worried about what happened to Ronaldo, I don't want to say it's the end of his career because only time can decide whether it is or not," he said.
"From our part all we can do is stand by him and let him recover."
Ronaldo underwent an X-ray at hospital and Milan's club doctor Jean-Pierre Messerman later confirmed he had indeed suffered the same injury.
Nonetheless, amid the gloom, another doctor, Walter Pascale, had some good news for Ronaldo.
"Surgical techniques to repair this kind of injury have improved a lot over the last eight years," he said late Wednesday.
"If things go as they should he should get back to his best. However it's difficult at this time to say for how long he will be out."