Scolari says Romario could still play for Brazil

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scoalri says veteran striker Romario could play at next year's World Cup finals.

Scolari told 'O Globo' newspaper that the 36 year old Vasco da Gama star still had chances to make the national team despite only playing a few qualifiers for next year's finals.

"Romario was left out of the last three squads because he was not physically in condition to play. But neither he, nor some other players, have been left off definitively."

The player hit 64 goals last year for Vasco and is again their top scorer despite injury problems and there remains a strong media campaign to keep the striker in the World Cupsquad.

Scolari used Romario only once during qualifiers and the striker is known to antagonise Rivaldo. Scolari says he is looking for "technical, physical, team-play and also individual characteristics" to determine his squad for next May which could rule out the controversial forward.