While the transfer drama surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo rages on, only one thing is certain now -- the Premier League's top scorer last season won't be playing for anyone until September at the earliest.The Manchester United (for now) winger underwent surgery on his right ankle today in Amsterdam and is expected to be out for up to two months. Doctors repaired damaged cartilage in the ankle, a result of one too many stepovers that ended with Ronaldo getting stepped on. He is expected to miss the FA Community Shield match against Portsmouth on August 11 and possibly the first few weeks of the Premier League season.
I suppose this will give Man United fans an idea of what life will be like without Ronaldo on the wing, even though the club is redoubling its efforts to convince Real Madrid to bugger off. Reports emerged today that the Red Devils are preparing a new contract for Ronaldo that will convince him to stay at Old Trafford a while -- which, according to his sister, is what he really wants. I suspect Nereida Gallardo, Ronaldo's Spanish model girlfriend, would say something completely different. She must not like the steak pies in Manchester as much as her boyfriend does.
