SAO PAULO Veteran striker Romario, who has scored seven goals in Brazil's last two internationals, was forced to withdraw from their squad on Monday after being injured in training.
In an ironic twist, his bitter rival Edmundo was named as his replacement for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Colombia.
The game will be Brazil's first under new coach Emerson Leao.
Romario pulled a muscle as he went for a cross during practice and immediately asked for help.
"It was probably due to too many matches," said national team doctor Jose Luis Runco.
The player had limped out of Sunday's match between Vasco da Gama and Botafogo but had said he would be fit for Wednesday's home game. He has been dogged by pulled muscles in the last three years, one of which forced him out of the 1998 World Cup.
He spent two years in the international wilderness before being recalled for a match against Bolivia in September. Romario celebrated with a hat-trick and then scored four more goals in a 6-0 demolition of Venezuela last month.
Edmundo, whose talent is often overshadowed by problems on and off the field, was sent off against Peru in his last international outing in April. Previous to that, he had not played for Brazil since the 1998 World Cup Final in France.
Romario and Edmundo have been bitter personal rivals since the former decorated a toilet door in his theme bar with a mocking cartoon of the latter.
Their rivalry was clear earlier this year when they both played for vasco as they refused to talk to each other on the pitch.
The problems only stopped when Edmundo left the club to join Santos.
Romario said in a recent interview: "They say his dream is to play alongside me in their national team. My dream is to never play with him again." (Reuter)