Robinho out of qualifier against Chile

Rio de Janeiro: Manchester City forward Robinho is out of Brazil`s World cup qualifier against Chile on Wednesday with a thigh muscle injury, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said on Sunday.

Dunga`s team, who qualified for the finals with three games to spare when they beat Argentina 3-1 on Saturday, are already missing Kaka, Luis Fabiano, captain Lucio and midfielder Ramires, who are all suspended."Robinho is out of the game but will stay with us," the squad`s press officer Rodrigo Paiva said by telephone after the player had a scan that confirmed the injury to his right thigh during the second half of Saturday`s match. Paiva said Dunga might call up a player to take Robinho`s place given that he has only two fit strikers left in the squad, Adriano and Nilmar. The four suspended players have returned to their clubs after being freed by Dunga whose squad moved to the northern coastal city of Salvador where they will play against Chile. If Chile, who are second in the South American group three points behind leaders Brazil, win they will reach the finals for the first time since 1998. They are seven points ahead of fifth-placed Colombia with three matches to go. The top four qualify automatically for next year`s finals in South Africa, the fifth goes into a two-leg playoff against the fourth team in the final CONCACAF group. Bureau Report