Barcelona duo cut as Portugal name World Cup squad

Reigning European champions Portugal have named their 23-man squad for the upcoming World Cup.

Portugal have named their 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup. The Euro 2016 winners submitted their final squad list on Friday night ahead of the showpiece tournament which kicks off on June 14.

Manager Fernando Santos opted for diversity in the selection of his World Cup squad. The 23 players chosen to represent their nation currently ply their trade across 18 unique clubs in 10 different countries and over two continents. Domestic side Sporting Lisbon are the most represented club with four players in the squad, while no other team has more than two.

The 23-man squad

The goalkeeping department sees Rui Patricio named alongside Lyon’s Anthony Lopes and veteran shot-stopper Beto. Patricio has been Portugal’s undisputed number one since 2012 and was in goal throughout the nation’s successful Euro 2016 campaign. He will be expected to start in Russia.

In defense, former Real Madrid stalwart Pepe returns to the squad after missing out on Portugal’s previous friendlies through injury. The 35-year-old forms part of Santos’ aging central defensive options alongside fellow veterans Bruno Alves and Jose Fonte, although 21-year-old uncapped Benfica center-back Ruben Dias has also made the cut. There’s a more youthful look to the flanks, though, with Cedric Soares, Raphael Guerreiro, Ricardo Pereira and Mario Rui all 26 or younger.

Manuel Fernandes remarkable resurgence at Lokomotiv Moscow has culminated in his selection for the World Cup alongside his name sake, Bruno. The pair are joined by the Premier League trio of Joao Mario, Adrien Silva and Bernardo Silva, as well as William Carvalho and Joao Moutinho.

Santos has also selected what will be one of the most exciting front-lines at the World Cup. Portugal’s attack is dominated by the irrepressible figure Cristiano Ronaldo, who will lead the line alongside the familiar faces of Ricardo Quaresma and 22-year-old Andre Silva. The potent attack is also well supplemented by the inclusions of Gelson Martins and Goncalo Guedes.

Notable exclusions

Before the provisional 35-man squad had even been released, Santos was dealt a blow when veteran left-back Fabio Coentrao ruled himself out of contention for the World Cup. The current Sporting-loanee wrote an open letter to the Portugal manager in which he indicated he had endured an exhausting season and would not be up to fitness for the tournament. The World Cup is the second major tournament the former Real Madrid star will miss, having previously been ruled out of Euro 2016 through injury.

One player who did take part at the Euros but was cut from the provisional squad is Renato Sanches. The former Golden Boy winner was overlooked following an awful season on loan in the Premier League at Swansea. The 20-year-old will be forced to watch from home along with the likes of Pizzi and Miguel Veloso.

Others got closer to the finals in Russia and were named in the provisional squad. Of the 12 unfortunate players to be cut were Barcelona’s Nelson Semedo and Andre Gomes; the pair overlooked because of their indifferent form for the Catalan giants this season. Former Manchester United star Nani has also been left out but the biggest surprise is the exclusion of Ruben Neves. The 21-year-old excelled with Wolves this season but was left out as a result of him playing in a lower division in England.

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Preparations

Off-field distractions have taken center-stage in Portugal after Sporting fans recently attacked  players during a training session. Among those targeted were Rui Patricio and William Carvalho, both of whom are important players in the national squad. While reports indicated that neither player was injured, the incident will come as an unnecessary distraction ahead of the World Cup.

Portugal will play three friendlies before the tournament kicks off to get back in the right frame of mind, though. On May 28, they will host Tunisia in Braga before the side travels to Brussels five days later for a match against Belgium. Preparations will then be concluded on June 5 with a friendly against Algeria in Lisbon.