Brazil’s Elano to miss match against the Netherlands because of right ankle injury

Injured Elano to miss match against the Dutch

JOHANNESBURG — Elano will not play for Brazil in Friday’s World Cup quarterfinal match against the Netherlands because of a right ankle injury, a team doctor said Wednesday.

Jose Luis Runco said Elano may be ready to play by next week but it’s possible that the playmaker could miss the rest of the World Cup.

“He has been undergoing intensive treatment which can take a few days, weeks or a month, there is no timetable,” Runco said. “Each day we will make an evaluation. We have to see if nature will be on our side.”

Runco said Elano has a bruised bone which will keep him from being able to practice with the rest of the players at least until Friday.

Elano scored a goal in each of Brazil’s first two matches and was practicing with the team Tuesday but was forced to leave after apparently feeling pain in the ankle.

“It was a spectacular start after scoring two goals in the first two matches,” Elano said. “Of course I’m sad, but I remain positive. I’m hopeful that I will still be able to play. I have to be patient now, that’s all I can do.”

Elano was hit in the ankle after a hard tackle in the 67th minute in the match against Ivory Coast in Brazil’s second match in the group stage. Doctors initially said the injury was not serious but the midfielder failed to recover in time for Brazil’s matches against Portugal and Chile.

Elano said he hoped referees would do more to protect players from violent play.

“I don’t like to complain, but this type of violence needs to be analyzed,” Elano said. “People talk about the ball, about using video to see if it was a goal or not, but I wanted to go to the referee and say, ‘You didn’t even call a foul?’”

Elano said the way Ivory Coast midfielder Ismael Tiote tackled him, his injury could’ve been even more serious.

“If I had my foot planted he would have broken my leg,” the 29-year-old Elano said.

French referee Stephane Lannoy didn’t call a foul on the play, but did give Tiote a yellow card for another hard play during the June 20 match at Soccer City, which Brazil won 3-1.

Elano, a regular in Dunga’s team since the coach took over the Brazilian squad after the 2006 World Cup, has played 46 matches with Brazil, scoring nine goals.

Dunga may also be without midfielder Felipe Melo, who is nursing a left ankle injury sustained late in the first half against Portugal. He didn’t play against Chile because of the injury.