The Brazilian club Corinthians are keeping their striker Adriano "detained" inside the team's hotel in an effort to force him to lose weight.

The club said Adriano, who has been fined several times for missing training, would be put on a strict diet inside the hotel at the team's headquarters, eating only what doctors give him and training three times a day.

The Corinthians fitness trainer Fabio Mahseredjian said the team chose to detain the former Internazionale striker because he has failed to improve his physical condition. He has played rarely since recovering from surgery on his achilles tendon last year and is in danger of not being included in the squad for the Copa Libertadores.

Mahseredjian said: "In the hotel we have more control over him … He knows we're trying to do the best for him. All of us are dedicated, but it depends on him. Weight loss comes only through diet: you cannot lose weight through physical activity alone."