Roberto Martinez has insisted Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be dropped for tonight’s match against Uzbekistan.
Football’s all-time top scorer had a horror show in Portugal’s World Cup opener against DR Congo, missing three chances and constantly blocking passing lanes.
He’s been hammered domestically and globally since, with many demanding that he makes way for Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, or both.
Yet his coach, Martinez, has made it clear that won’t be happening in his pre-match press conference.
Why Martinez Believes Ronaldo Is Still Portugal’s Key Man
“We are a team that wants the ball and wants to recover it quickly,” he explained.
“When we have the ball, we need a lot of personality, clarity on how to get into the opponent’s area.
“We need a player who opens up spaces, and Cristiano is the strongest at doing that, the numbers show it.
“He’s an icon. Those movements, opening up space… Ultimately, he’s the final piece in our strategy.”
Asked what impact Ronaldo is still making on the team, Martinez continued: “He’s obviously a very experienced player and that helps.
“A great example of how people should focus. The way he recovers, how he prepares… He’s a great example for us.
“He’s going to his sixth World Cup and that helps us a lot. But that doesn’t take away all the frustration we felt after the game against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“But perhaps it was the best starting point to prepare for the next game. I think tomorrow we’ll have a team prepared from the start so we can put on a great performance.”
He added: “He’s an example, he’s a captain. He reacts like a captain.
“He has a lot of experience. We can all use that. We’re talking about someone who has been defending and representing the National Team for 21 seasons.
“He has an incredible hunger to continue improving and helping the group. He’s an example in the locker room.”
What the Spanish Press Are Saying About Martinez’s Loyalty
Responding to the comments, Spanish journalist Axel Torres discussed a recent interview he conducted with Martinez.
“He believes in Cristiano Ronaldo, that nobody is forcing him to play him, that he thinks he’s the best,” he said.
“He proves it by providing data, such as training results or Ronaldo’s goal-scoring performance in the Nations League
“He genuinely believes in him.”
Portugal predicted line up vs Uzbekistan
Journalists present at Portugal training predict that Nuno Mendes will be out for Nelson Semedo with Joao Cancelo moving to left back.
The midfield will stay the same, but Pedro Neto and Bernardo Silva will vacate the wings for Joao Felix and Francisco Conceicao.
A Bola conducted a poll of fans and journalists, and the results were slightly different.
They decided on Ronaldo being dropped for Ramos and Araujo coming in for Veiga at centre back.
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