Roberto Carlos on Thursday praised Corinthians teammate Ronaldo for his hardworking spirit.

"Ronaldo is different. He could be 200 kilos overweight, but he would still have the same winning positive attitude. This is a Ronaldo that we all want to see," said Carlos.

"We all expect him to return as soon as possible. He is a very important part of Corinthians, and also important to the sport as well," added the former Real Madrid defender.

Ronaldo has been sidelined since May 8 when he injured his right calf in the team's first match of the Brazilian soccer championship. For nearly three months, the star striker has been working hard to recover his best form.

Local media reported that head coach Adilson Batista might field Ronaldo in the team's match against Flamengo on Aug. 8.