KOENIGSTEIN (Germany), June 9: Brazil midfielder Emerson, who missed the 2002 World Cup after a bizarre training pitch injury on the eve of the tournament, hopes fate will be kinder to him this time around.

Emerson was due to captain Brazil four years ago until he dislocated his shoulder while playing in goal during a light-hearted practice on the day before their opening match against Turkey.

Having won back his place in midfield, he is now philosophical about the chances of lightning striking twice.

“I'm not going to start pulling up in training,” he told reporters at the team hotel on Friday.

“If I'm cautious, I will only be 80 percent in our first game and that's not what I want,” said Emerson, who was himself called up for the 1998 World Cup at the last minute after an injury to striker Romario.

“You just have to have faith in God. If it happens, there's nothing you can do.”

“You saw what happened to that French lad,” he said, referring to striker Djibril Cisse, who broke his leg during a friendly against China on Wednesday and will miss the tournament.

“You could fall over walking up the stairs and injure yourself. These are just things you don't expect.”

Emerson was initially recalled to the side after the 2002 World Cup, winning back his place in midfield.

In 2004, he appeared to fall out of favour with coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and did not win a single cap. However, he won back his place again in 2005 after being recalled for a World Cup qualifier at home to Peru.

“I've got over what happened four years ago. My first target was to get back into the Brazil team and I've achieved that,” he said.

“I was out of the side for eight months but I won back my place and I've got over it well.”

“It was very difficult for me to watch the tournament on television. It's a bad feeling when you're sitting at home watching on television and knowing you could be there in the tournament.”—Reuters