Ronaldo returns as Portugal’s World Cup preparations begin in earnest

Portugal’s take on Egypt and the Netherlands this week. Fernando Santos has chosen a mix of youth and experience as he prepares for the World Cup in June.

Portugal are in action during the international break with two friendlies, against Egypt and the Netherlands. Both matches will be played in Switzerland where the reigning European champions will look to acclimatize to colder weather conditions. Fernando Santos named his squad last week Thursday, opting for a mix of youth and experience in a side where the center-back position is  a fast-maturing problem.

Aging defense a concern for Santos

Portugal appear to be heading to the World Cup with a central pairing at the wrong end of their careers. Pepe, Bruno Alves and Jose Fonte are all in their mid-30s and have begun to descend from the heights of their impressive careers. All three are expected to make the final World Cup squad but Pepe misses out this time around through injury.

Santos used his absence as an opportunity to hand Benfica’s starlet Ruben Dias a first call-up but the 20-year old was himself forced to withdraw with an ankle injury. He has since been replaced by the more experienced Luis Neto.

The trio of Alves, Fonte and Neto are joined in the squad by surprise inclusion Rolando. The 32-year old has won 19 international caps but last played for Portugal in 2014. He has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts with Marseille this season, after a torrid few years before, but few will have expected him to have received a call-up ahead of the World Cup. It’s unlikely that he’ll make the final squad but his call-up sees the average age of Portugal’s center-back options climb above 32 years.

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Notable exclusions

Other than the subtle defensive changes, Santos has named a more-or-less familiar squad but there are a handful of notable exclusions. Former Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon star Nani is the highest profile name omitted from Portugal’s squad. The skillful winger, who was recently involved in an on-flight scuffle, misses out on the latest squad alongside Eder and Pizzi. It remains to be seen whether the trio remain in Santos’ plans for the World Cup.

There was also no place in the squad for Renato Sanches. The former Golden Boy has struggled on loan at Swansea and looks unlikely to receive a call-up come June. He’s joined in the periphery by Monaco’s Rony Lopes, whose impressive recent form wasn’t enough to earn him a selection. Pepe is also absent after breaking his toe playing for Besiktas while Danilo Pereira is also sidelined through injury.

Ronaldo’s return and faith in the Andres

In his post-squad announcement interview Santos revealed he had completed “about 70 percent of the final list” for his World Cup squad. As national team captain, most-capped player and record goalscorer, Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo will likely have been the first name on that list. He returns to the squad after being rested in November.

Santos has also shown faith in the struggling duo of Andre Gomes and Andre Silva. Gomes  publically shared that he has struggled for form at Barcelona and that it had taken its toll on him psychologically, even going so far as to describe the situation as a “a kind of hell.” He has been an important player for Santos over the last two years, however, and the manager is clearly hoping he will rediscover his form with the national team.

Another player who has struggled outside of Portugal is Andre Silva. The 22-year-old has scored only one league goal since joining AC Milan in June last year. He has fared better in the Europa League but has inexplicably seen sporadic game time with the former Italian giants. Despite his dip in form at club level he boasts a return of 11 goals in 15 appearances for Portugal and remains the favorite to lead their line alongside Ronaldo at the World Cup.

Here is the full 25-man squad for Portugal’s friendly matches against Egypt (23 March 2018) and the Netherlands (26 March 2018) – note that Fabio Coentrao and Ruben Dias have withdrawn from the squad through injury. Luis Neto and Mario Rui have been called up as replacements.