Donato determined to return

RC Deportivo La Coruña veteran Donato has vowed to carry on playing, despite needing an operation on a serious knee injury.

Meniscus injury
The Brazilian-born former Spanish international midfield player fractured the meniscus of his left knee in training on Monday and will now undergo exploratory surgery in Madrid. Donato featured in last week's UEFA Champions League game against FC Basel, becoming at 40 years and 51 days, the second-oldest player to appear in the competition. However he did not play on Saturday in his side’s 6-0 win against Deportivo Alavés and the injury forced him out of Tuesday’s return against Basel.

Still upbeat
If the injury is as serious as feared then Donato is likely to be ruled out of Deportivo’s final two Champions League group  matches as well as the quarter-finals, should Deportivo progress that far. However the 40-year-old remains upbeat. "I still want to win trophies and score 50 goals in the Spanish league," he told uefa.com.

Loyal servant
Donato has been a loyal servant to Deportivo since his arrival in Galicia in a €600,000 deal from Club Atlético de Madrid in 1993. Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1962, he trained as a locksmith before moving into professional football and spending eight seasons with CR Vasco da Gama, where he was once voted Brazil's best defender. However it was with his adopted country, Spain, that Donato played at the highest level, winning 12 caps between 1994 and 1996, including at EURO 96™.