Portugal’s head coach, Roberto Martínez, has provided an injury update on his squad ahead of Saturday’s international friendly against Chile.
The update comes amid concerns about the fitness of Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes just days before the Seleção’s meeting with Nigeria.
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Portugal will host the Super Eagles on 10 June, a fixture that coincides with Portugal Day, the national holiday commemorating the death of revered poet and national icon Luís de Camões.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Martínez confirmed that Nunes remains unavailable due to fitness concerns and will play no part against Chile as the Portuguese technical crew refuses to take unnecessary risks ahead of the World Cup.
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The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star was also an unused substitute the last time Portugal faced Nigeria in November 2022, while João Félix completed the full 90 minutes in that encounter.
“Unfortunately, Matheus Nunes is not yet fit to train, so he is out of the squad for tomorrow (Saturday). It’s not the time to take risks,” Martínez said, according to A Bola.
“We hope Matheus will be fit for the second game against Nigeria.”
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There was, however, more encouraging news regarding Félix, with the Chelsea forward expected to undergo a final assessment before a decision is made on his availability.
“João Félix will train, and we will make a decision after training, but I think it’s a different situation. I feel it’s positive and that he will be fit to play tomorrow,” Martínez added.
Portugal already looking ahead to the Nigeria Test
While Portugal’s immediate focus remains Chile, Martínez acknowledged that the Nigeria fixture forms an important part of the country’s World Cup preparations, both tactically and psychologically.
The Portuguese coach revealed that his technical team is closely monitoring teams within their World Cup orbit, particularly group rivals Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
“I love watching football and following many national teams, but right now we’re only following our direct or indirect opponents: Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia,” Martínez explained.
“Colombia is a team that is very clear in what it does and plays very well; it’s a team I really like. Congo is also showing tactical flexibility, while Uzbekistan is working very well with the new coach and is very competitive defensively.
“Tomorrow’s game will bring many important aspects in terms of individual duels. We are enjoying the preparation period and looking forward to playing in front of our fans, which is part of the process.”
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Super Eagles settle into Lisbon Camp
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s preparations for the high-profile encounter are gathering momentum.
The Super Eagles held their first training session in Lisbon on Friday with 22 players in attendance, including AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze, as Eric Chelle continues fine-tuning his squad ahead of the prestigious international friendly.
With Portugal monitoring injury concerns and Nigeria building towards another major European test, Tuesday’s showdown promises to provide both sides with a valuable benchmark as preparations for future competitive assignments continue.
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