Carlos Queiroz to call up Ronaldo

Carlos Queiroz to call up Ronaldo

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz intends to call up Cristiano Ronaldo for the upcoming World Cup play-offs against Bosnia-Herzegovina, despite the latest medical reports from Real Madrid saying the forward will be out of action for at least two more weeks with his ankle injury.

Ronaldo has missed Madrid's last seven matches after suffering an injury to his right ankle during the Champions League match with Marseille on September 30, and then aggravating it while while playing for Portugal in their World Cup qualifier against Hungary on October 10.

The world's most expensive player on Thursday met with Dutch specialist Professor Niek van Dijk in Amsterdam after tests conducted by Madrid on Wednesday revealed that no improvement had been made on Ronaldo's injury since undergoing an MRI scan a week before.

Van Dijk, who operated on the 24-year-old's right ankle in the summer of 2008, advised Ronaldo to continue his treatment before returning for a fresh evaluation in 15 days' time.

That means he will almost certainly be ruled out of both of Portugal's World Cup play-off matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina, with the first leg taking place in Lisbon on November 14 and the return meeting scheduled for Zenica four days later.

However, former Madrid coach Queiroz insists he is still planning on including Ronaldo in his squad for the fixtures, telling Portuguese television channel TVI24: "I'm going to call up Cristiano Ronaldo and I hope that he can help us, even if it is only for a few minutes.

"The specialists have to make the decision on if he can play. Naturally we are concerned, because the most important thing is the player. We want a great Ronaldo, we want a fit player and the first consideration is to know whether he is able to play and contribute anything to the national team."

Queiroz is set to name his squad on Sunday.