Ronaldo desperate to be fit for final

Ronaldo today began the recovery process aimed at getting close to fitness for the World Cup final as he defiantly shut out the painful memories of his struggle against France four years ago.

Ronaldo today began the recovery process aimed at getting him close to fitness for the World Cup final as he defiantly shut out the painful memories of his struggle against France four years ago.

The Brazil striker proclaimed that the ‘‘nightmare is over’’ after scoring his side’s semi-final winner against Turkey yesterday to set up a heavyweight final against Germany.

However, it is not until he has sparkled in Sunday’s final that he will truly manage to erase the personal trauma of the 1998 final in the Stade de France.

Having initially been left off the team-sheet following a reported seizure, Ronaldo was then named on a revised list but simply wandered around as if in a daze as France triumphed 3-0.

Since then, he has endured a myriad of injury problems which have threatened his career, only to emerge with six goals in this tournament to leave him as the leading scorer.

The 25-year-old striker insists that he will not allow the pain of 1998 to affect his mind in the build-up to Sunday’s game in Yokohama.

‘‘I am not thinking about the last final at all,’’ he declared.