KOENIGSTEIN, Germany, June 15 - Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said he was prepared to gamble on Ronaldo for Sunday's game against Australia after the striker suffered an illness scare.

Parreira said Ronaldo, out of sorts in the 1-0 Group F win over Croatia on Tuesday, would start against Australia in Munich.

Ronaldo, who underwent a battery of medical tests on Wednesday after complaining of dizzyness, said he felt fine.

The episode recalled memories of 1998 when he fell victim to a mystery illness hours before the 3-0 World Cup final defeat by France.

"He's confirmed (for Sunday)," Parreira told reporters. "We're betting on him.

"I think he deserves to continue playing because of what he's done in the past and because of what he represents for us."

Asked how long he would persist with the 1996, 1997 and 2002 World Footballer of the Year if he continued to play badly, Parreira said: "How can I start from the assumption a player will not play well?

"I have to believe he will play well, I have to be optimistic.

"A good player deserves confidence. It's important for us to invest in this player."

Team doctor Jose Luis Runco said nothing had shown up in Wednesday's tests.

NO PROBLEM

"We don't have a problem because the athlete is training," he said, adding he could not rule out the episode was stress-related.

Ronaldo said: "Today I feel fine. I feel fairly relaxed. It's nothing serious.

"I'm just thinking about the game against Australia. To be sincere I wasn't happy with my performance against Croatia but the most important thing was that we won.

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