As Portugal prepares for March friendlies against Mexico and the United States, manager Roberto Martínez will need to explore different attacking options due to the absence of star striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has been sidelined for Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr since the end of February, and the issue is serious enough to keep him out of the squad for these matches so he can focus on his recovery.
The injury was initially expected to be brief, but the 41-year-old will now have missed a month of club soccer. He was in excellent form, scoring 22 goals and assisting four more in just 26 appearances for Al Nassr this season. As long as he is healthy, Ronaldo is expected to lead the line for Portugal at the World Cup. Despite his immense success in winning almost every trophy available to him, the World Cup title is one that has eluded him. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and he was part of the squad that secured a fourth-place finish in 2006, which remains his deepest run in the tournament.
Martínez has already said that he can’t guarantee Ronaldo will be fit for the World Cup, saying, “No one can provide that guarantee. If I had that guarantee, I would have called the player up now.”
Allowing him time to rest will give Ronaldo a better chance of recovering in time for the World Cup, but it also presents Martínez with a selection dilemma for these upcoming matches. Gonçalo Ramos is the only recognized striker who was called in for these friendlies. While players such as Pedro Neto and Francisco Trincão have filled in there when needed, their presence fundamentally changes how the attack will operate. Portugal’s midfield trio of Bruno Fernandes, João Neves, and Vitinha will give them a strong chance to defeat any team in their path. However, if Ronaldo isn’t available, there will be questions surrounding who can be expected to step up in the biggest moments.
