Juninho: Cruciate damage (MatthewAshton/Empics)

The World Cup winner, aiming for a comeback in the New Year, will undergo intensive treatment at the PhysioSport Rehabilitation Centre close to his home in Sau Paulo. The player will be treated by expert Nivaldo Baldo.

Juninho is due to return to the Riverside in January in a bid to finally start his third spell with Boro.

'Nivaldo Baldo has everything in his clinic that I need,' Juninho said. 'He has a room there so I will live in the clinic and get treatment full-time. My recovery is going well. I've been doing a lot of swimming exercises. I'm going to swim the distance of the English Channel, so someone suggested I try to raise some money for charity.'

The former Atletico Madrid has been frustrated by the injury which has forced him to sit out the Teesside club's impressive start to the Premiership campaign.

'I will miss the boys and the atmosphere here,' he told Boro's official website. 'But when you're out injured, you can't do anything and it makes you feel sad and upset. I want to know how Boro are doing in every game.

'But I will be able to concentrate more on the injury and do my best to get back to full fitness because feelings are very important when you're recovering from injury.'

Juninho's injury misery has been tempered in recent days by the birth of his second child last weekend.

Little Lucas was born last Saturday, and although the new-born will initially remain on Teesside with his mum Juliana, the family will eventually be reunited in Brazil.