Ronaldo, Ronaldinho not on Brazil's Cup squad

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Ronaldo wasn't included in the Brazil squad on Thursday for next month's World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup despite pressure from fans and media.

AC Milan's Ronaldinho also was missing in the list of 23 players named by coach Dunga to play qualifiers against Uruguay in Montevideo on June 6 and Paraguay four days later in the northeastern city of Recife.

The team travels to South Africa on June 11 for the Confederations Cup starting three days later.

Dunga said Ronaldinho and Ronaldo are "top quality players" who still need to regain their best form before returning to the national team.

"Ronaldo is returning from an injury. I don't even think he would feel comfortable in the national team right now," said Dunga, who played with Ronaldo in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. "He wants to be summoned only when he is ready."

The Brazil coach, a former defensive midfielder, said Ronaldinho wasn't called up because he was going though a "difficult moment" at AC Milan, where he hasn't been used as a starter.

"He needs to play more," Dunga said. "Hopefully next season he will find his space and play more matches, returning to the form that we all know."

Ronaldinho's teammate at AC Milan, Kaka, and Manchester City's Robinho will be in charge of leading Brazil in the upcoming matches, along with Sevilla's Luis Fabiano and Milan's Alexandre Pato.

Only five players are playing in Brazilian clubs: striker Nilmar and defender Kleber of Internacional, goalkeeper Victor of Gremio, midfielder Ramires of Cruzeiro and defender Andre Santos of Corinthians.

Many fans and local media were hoping to see Ronaldo on the list, too.

Ronaldo is thriving with Brazilian club Corinthians after recovering from the third serious knee injury of his career. A three-time world player of the year, Ronaldo has scored 10 goals since his return in March. He was sidelined for more than a year after he was injured while playing for AC Milan in February 2008.

Ronaldo has been saying one of his main goals is to return to the national team, but agrees with Dunga that he isn't ready yet.

"I'm not prepared," Ronaldo said before the list was announced. "In my opinion, this is not the right moment to be in the national team, especially after these last three matches in which I had some health problems."

Ronaldo, the all-time leading World Cup finals scorer with 15 goals, was coping with the flu recently and on Wednesday sustained a minor muscle injury in a Brazilian Cup match against Fluminense.

Brazil was second in South American qualifying with 21 points, three behind leader Paraguay and one ahead of third-place Chile. Argentina was fourth with 19. The top four nations will earn automatic World Cup berths.

In the Confederations Cup, Brazil is in Group B along with Egypt, the United States and Italy. It debuts against Egypt on June 15 in Bloemfontein.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham), Vitor (Gremio).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Andre Santos (Corinthians), Kleber (Internacional), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Alex (Chelsea), Juan (AS Roma), Luisao (Benfica).

Midfielders: Elano (Manchester City), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (AC Milan), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (Wolfsburg), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Anderson (Manchester United), Ramires (Cruzeiro).

Forwards: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Robinho (Manchester City), Nilmar (Internacional).