Sao Paulo  - The veteran Brazilian striker Ronaldo confirmed his recovery 13 months after knee surgery with a brace in Corinthians' 2-2 draw against Ponte Preta, in which he played the full game for the first time since the operation.

Ronaldo, 32, who has undergone three major knee injuries in his career, now has scored an average of 0.8 goals per game at his Brazilian club, very close to the best numbers of his footballing life.

Corinthians fans have already come to idolize the striker, who scored once from the spot - after being himself brought down inside the box - and then again with a powerful shot late Wednesday.

"Ronaldo was Corinthians' best player," the news agency Estado said Thursday.

Coach Mano Menezes is being cautious about his star, at least until he gets back to full form, and may keep him on the bench for Saturday's game against Guarani in the Sao Paulo state championship.

"I'll talk to him. He worked very hard on Wednesday, and we have another game ahead of us in a short period of time," the coach said. (dpa)