Luiz Felipe Scolari expects to have Mineiro, a 33-year-old Brazilian midfielder, available for the Premier League game against Aston Villa a week on Sunday. Chelsea are set to sign the former Brazil international, who left Hertha Berlin in the summer, to provide backup in midfield after the injuries to Michael Essien and Deco.
"Mineiro is a player I need because I lost Essien for six months and only John Mikel Obi is there for us," Scolari said. "He won't play this week but maybe after 10 days he will play. He needs to play in the reserve team and needs some time but that is good for me because he gives me some options."
Arsène Wenger had considered a move for the Brazilian but after watching him in a behind-closed-doors friendly the Arsenal manager said this month that nothing would happen "at the moment". Birmingham were reportedly also interested in Mineiro, who was offered an extension to stay at Hertha last summer but felt the offer was not good enough. He made 36 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha Berlin, scoring twice in an 18-month spell.
Liverpool fans may remember him from their Club World Championship final in December 2005 when the midfielder scored the only goal of the game, beating Liverpool's offside trap and slotting calmly past José Reina, to win the trophy for Sao Paulo. He was a late call-up for Brazil in the build-up to the 2006 World Cup, replacing the Barcelona midfielder Edmilson who suffered a serious knee injury, but did not play in Germany.
A year later, however, he was Dunga's first choice in midfield together with Arsenal's Gilberto Silva - keeping Manchester United's Anderson on the bench - as Brazil won the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela. He is highly respected in Brazil and Scolari knows him well, having given him his first cap in 2001. His tireless running makes him an ideal back-up for Essien - who is unlikely to play again this year - and his coach at Sao Paulo, Muricy Ramalho, once said: "The guy is incredible. He runs so much at times it makes you wonder whether he has got three lungs, not two, like the rest of us."
Salomon Kalou has said that more goals will follow from him after he scored the equaliser against Manchester United on Sunday. "It's my first goal against Manchester United so I hope it is the start of a lot of goals and it has given me a lot of confidence," he said. "It is a good feeling to come off the bench and score."
"Mineiro is a player I need because I lost Essien for six months and only John Mikel Obi is there for us," Scolari said. "He won't play this week but maybe after 10 days he will play. He needs to play in the reserve team and needs some time but that is good for me because he gives me some options."
Arsène Wenger had considered a move for the Brazilian but after watching him in a behind-closed-doors friendly the Arsenal manager said this month that nothing would happen "at the moment". Birmingham were reportedly also interested in Mineiro, who was offered an extension to stay at Hertha last summer but felt the offer was not good enough. He made 36 Bundesliga appearances for Hertha Berlin, scoring twice in an 18-month spell.
Liverpool fans may remember him from their Club World Championship final in December 2005 when the midfielder scored the only goal of the game, beating Liverpool's offside trap and slotting calmly past José Reina, to win the trophy for Sao Paulo. He was a late call-up for Brazil in the build-up to the 2006 World Cup, replacing the Barcelona midfielder Edmilson who suffered a serious knee injury, but did not play in Germany.
A year later, however, he was Dunga's first choice in midfield together with Arsenal's Gilberto Silva - keeping Manchester United's Anderson on the bench - as Brazil won the 2007 Copa América in Venezuela. He is highly respected in Brazil and Scolari knows him well, having given him his first cap in 2001. His tireless running makes him an ideal back-up for Essien - who is unlikely to play again this year - and his coach at Sao Paulo, Muricy Ramalho, once said: "The guy is incredible. He runs so much at times it makes you wonder whether he has got three lungs, not two, like the rest of us."
Salomon Kalou has said that more goals will follow from him after he scored the equaliser against Manchester United on Sunday. "It's my first goal against Manchester United so I hope it is the start of a lot of goals and it has given me a lot of confidence," he said. "It is a good feeling to come off the bench and score."
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