Ex-Benfica man out, Nuno Tavares steps in for national team | OneFootball

Nuno Tavares was called up to fill the absence of João Neves in the national team. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, who came up through the ranks at the Clube da Luz, had been selected by Roberto Martínez for the national team’s double-header, but was released due to some physical issues he was experiencing – Diogo Ferreira was also released from the U19 national team duties.

João Neves’s call-up even came as something of a surprise, considering that the midfielder has been dealing with some physical problems that kept him out of PSG’s recent matches. The midfielder is reportedly suffering from a left hamstring injury that has prevented him from contributing on the pitch.

Therefore, the FPF’s Health and Performance Directorate, in coordination with PSG’s medical department, decided that João Neves "is not physically fit to participate in the national team’s matches", as stated in a note published on the Federation’s official channels.

Nuno Tavares, a right-back who plays for Italian side Lazio, but who, like João Neves, was developed at Benfica’s Seixal Campus.

It’s worth remembering that the national team has a double-header in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, during the upcoming FIFA international break. Portugal will face Ireland on October 11, and Hungary three days later. Both matches will take place at the Alvalade stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 19:45.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.