The former Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto striker, famed for his prolific scoring record, arrived at the club in bad shape last month having been short of match practise and match fitness after 12 months in the wilderness in Lisbon but the Bolton Assistant Manager Brown has praised the attitude of the Brazilian during a new strict training regime designed to get the 29-year old back into shape again.
"It's taken a bit longer than we originally scheduled for" admitted Brown
"We thought maybe two or three weeks but it's now four or five from when he first signed but his attitude to the schedule we have put him through has been first class. Being on the bench for two games has helped him both mentally and physically"
Brown also confirmed the player would be taking part in competitive matches once his fitness is assessed.
"He's still working on his fitness. It's one thing we have addressed over the past couple of weeks. Before he gets any first team or reserve team games we need to sort out his level of fitness. When we get to that stage we will put him in the reserves and games behind closed doors. Hopefully he will be somewhere near in the next two or three weeks" said Brown