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Chile’s Humberto Suazo, front, controls a ball during a team training session at the Ingwenyama Conference and Sports Resort in Nelspruit, South Africa, on Saturday. Chile will face Brazil in a World Cup match on Monday.

Ap photo

JOHANNESBURG — Kaka, Elano and Robinho are set to return to Brazil’s starting lineup for the second-round match against Chile on Monday, giving the team a much-needed offensive boost.

Coach Dunga may not be able to count on defensive midfielder Felipe Melo, however, after he hurt his left ankle in Brazil’s 0-0 draw against Portugal on Friday in the teams’ final Group G match. Reserve midfielder Julio Baptista hurt his left knee in the match and also may not be available.

Kaka will be back after a suspension for a red card against Ivory Coast, while Elano should be fit after recovering from a right ankle injury that left him out Friday.

“I’m upbeat because I practiced normally and didn’t feel any pain,” Elano said.

Robinho was rested against Portugal after a minor left thigh problem, but Brazil doctor Jose Luis Runco said Saturday the striker can return against Chile.

“I would have played against Portugal if it was a decisive match and Brazil hadn’t advanced yet,” Robinho said.

Without the three playmakers, Brazil struggled to create scoring opportunities and failed to get past Portugal’s defense. The result still gave Brazil first place in the group, but halted its seven-match winning streak. The five-time champion hadn’t been held scoreless since a 0-0 home draw with Venezuela in a World Cup qualifier in October.

“Robinho could’ve given us an edge,” Dunga said. “He can make a difference with his dribbles when there is not a lot of space, like it was the case against Portugal.”

Elano had scored a goal in each of Brazil’s first two matches, and Kaka and Robinho each had assists.

Brazil is downplaying the protective back padding used by goalkeeper Julio Cesar against Portugal, saying FIFA officials approved it.

The back padding became visible after Julio Cesar was injured in the second half. Doctors had to lift his jersey and the protection was seen strapped around his lower back.

Brazilian federation spokesman Rodrigo Paiva says the protection has a small metal strip on it.

FIFA can prohibit some devices from being used if they can cause injuries to other players. The governing body did not immediately confirm it approved the protection.

WARM WELCOME HOME IN PYONGYANG? North Korea’s World Cup team will receive a warm welcome when it returns home from South Africa, a veteran of the country’s 1966 squad said Saturday.

Pak Du Ik played for North Korea when it advanced to the quarterfinals in England 44 years ago in its first World Cup. It scored a huge upset against Italy before being knocked out by Portugal.

This time the team didn’t fare nearly as well, losing group matches to Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast. North Korea was routed 7-0 by Portugal.

Pak, speaking to international TV news agency APTN in Pyongyang, said the team did its best, despite the losses.

“Now when the Korean team gets home, officials and crowds of people will go to the airport to welcome them,” he said. “This is because taking part itself is a success.”

Pak said that while North Koreans regret the Portugal result, they have praised the team’s players. “Everybody says they did their best,” he said.

In the other two games, Brazil beat the North Koreans 2-1, while Ivory Coast won 3-0.

“It is a pity that we let in three goals against Ivory Coast, I think if we had played harder we would not have lost two goals in the first half and one goal in the second half,” Pak said. “But on the other hand, I think they did their best.”

North Korean official media had not reported the result of the match against Ivory Coast early Saturday, but the news had spread quickly within Pyongyang by word of mouth.

Soccer is very popular in North Korea, and the country’s World Cup appearance caused great excitement and expectation among its citizens.

Pak said the experience was valuable.

“We have learned a lesson from the three World Cup matches,” he said. “We accumulated experience and we found an answer to how to improve our football, to decrease the gap between our team and teams from Europe, South America and Africa.”

NO-NONSENSE APPROACH: The South African police officer in charge of security at the Germany-England match has promised a “no nonsense” approach to crowd trouble and said Saturday that relaxed alcohol laws could make his job harder.

Lt. Gen. Amon Mashigo said riot police, water cannons and helicopters will be on standby for the second-round match Sunday at Bloemfontein, and the army could also be mobilized.

“We will be seizing control of the whole city as of tonight (Saturday),” Mashigo told The Associated Press. “To sum it up, it’s a no-nonsense approach. Definitely, nobody will dare do anything stupid.”

Mashigo said police were not expecting crowd problems, but the game features teams considered “high profile” by South Africa’s national police service.

“We have deployed extra forces. The members have been trained more specifically in terms of crowd control.” Mashigo said, adding there will be nearly twice as many police officers on duty at the city’s previous biggest World Cup match, when South Africa beat France in the final Group A game.

Mashigo said alcohol sales won’t be restricted in the normally conservative Bloemfontein on Sunday because of a recently passed local law. He said it presents the potential for problems.

“That’s for sure,” Mashigo said when asked if shops, bars and restaurants selling alcohol made his job harder. “But we are ready for that.”

He said today’s game was the biggest security operation ever for a sports event in Bloemfontein, a quiet city in central South Africa surrounded by farmland and more used to hosting rugby