Eight Portugal players sent back to clubs ahead of second match in March international break

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :March 22, 2024 at 10:41 PM

Modified at :March 22, 2024 at 10:41 PM

Eight Portugal players sent back to clubs ahead of second match in March international break

(Courtesy : Portugal)

Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias returned to the club midway through the international break

Eight members of the Portugal national football team were allowed to go back to their clubs following their first international friendly match.

Approval to go back to their individual clubs has been given to Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Palhinha, Nélson Semedo, Toti Gomes, Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes, and Gonçalo Ramos; all will not take part in Portugal’s second match.

Despite being pleased with the performance, manager Roberto Martinez announced that eight players will be sent home in advance of Tuesday’s game against Slovenia.Bruno Fernandes, the leader of Manchester United, Silva, Dias, and Rafael Leao are a few of those players.

Martinez said: “We have eight arriving for the second game. It’s important to work on different concepts.”Bernardo [Silva], Ruben Dias, [Joao] Palhinha, [Nelson] Semedo, Toti [Gomes], Rafael Leão, Bruno Fernandes and Goncalo Ramos are leaving.”

Each of Portugal’s five scores against Sweden on Thursday came from Matheus Nunes, who is expected to stay in the team.

For Pep Guardiola, Silva and Dias coming back to Manchester will be a great boost. Next weekend, City and Arsenal will play for the Premier League title.

Due to an injury, Kevin De Bruyne had to leave the Belgium team before the international break.

Although Ronaldo was named in Martinez’s initial 32-man roster, he did not play in his team’s subsequent match against Sweden. He is the latest player to be rested for the friendly, joining Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, and Joao Felix.

The Al-Nassr striker was dropped, according to ESPN, solely to allow the 39-year-old some relaxation as the Saudi Pro League has halted for the international break. The striker is currently on a brief holiday with his family in Saudi Arabia. The former Real Madrid star was granted some much-needed time off before another incredibly hectic summer after playing the full ninety minutes for Al-Nassr on Saturday night.

Following the Sweden encounter, the leading scorer for Portugal will be back in Martinez’s squad and could get some playing time in the final match before the final leg of team action. Portugal is one of the overwhelming favourites to win the Euros, thus Ronaldo will probably be a key member of the team again in the summer.

On March 26, Portugal will play Slovenia, and the Al-Nassr striker will be back in action. Then, on March 30, he will play again in the Saudi Pro League when Al-Nassr takes on Al-Tai in an attempt to catch up to the league’s undisputed leaders, Al-Hilal.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.

Eight Portugal players sent back to clubs ahead of second match in March international break

Manchester City duo Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias returned to the club midway through the international break

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