Portugal Coach Fernando Santos said that Cristiano RonaldoAvailability still in question for their final Group H match against South Korea on Friday.
The Portugal captain missed training on Wednesday and stayed in the gym to do recovery and specific exercises and with his team already in the knock-out stages, he could be rested against South Korea even if he is fit.
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“I think it’s 50-50 if he plays or not, we’ll see,” Santos said at a press conference on Thursday.
“It will depend on how he practices today and if we see that he is in good shape … If he is not available then have a plan in place.”
after a win against Ghana And UruguayPortugal lead the group table with six points and can clinch the top spot with a draw or a win. South Korea still has a slim chance of qualifying.
Santos confirms that defender Nuno Mendes The player will miss the rest of the World Cup after tearing off the pitch after injuring his thigh against Uruguay.
“Unfortunately he is out but of his own volition he will remain with us. It was his wish, his club agreed, and he will begin his recovery here. His overwhelming desire to be with us reflects the state of mind of the whole team.” ” They said.
with mendes ottavio And Danilo Injured, Santos said he hopes to rotate part of his team with a view to keeping some players fresh for their game in the round of 16.
“I have full faith in all my players, I am already missing three players, let’s see about the rest,” he added.
“Playing every four days is tough, players get tired and are experiencing fatigue. Fatigue leads to stress and stress leads to injury.
“It is important to win and finish top of our group as we will have an extra day for the players to recover in the best possible way.”
