Ex-Sporting man boosts Martínez before Portugal’s key clash | OneFootball

Bruno Fernandes is back in Roberto Martínez’s options for the next match of the national team. The former Sporting captain did not take part in Portugal’s last game, which ended in a 2-0 defeat against Ireland, away at the opponent’s ground.

Due to that loss, Portugal missed the chance to secure direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup at that moment. Therefore, the national team is now obliged to achieve a good result in the next match, against Armenia, the final opportunity to finish the qualifying group in first place.

Roberto Martínez has already received good news regarding that match. Bruno Fernandes, former captain of Sporting, who now wears the armband for Manchester United, is back in the national coach’s options, after serving a suspension against Ireland.

In addition to Bruno Fernandes, Roberto Martínez will also be able to use João Palhinha, as well as Bernardo Silva, João Neves, and João Félix, without any concerns. This group of players was at risk of missing the Armenia game if they had received a yellow card against Ireland, which did not happen. Since this will be the last match of the qualifying phase, that fear is no longer relevant.

On the other hand, the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, will be absent. In the match that ended in a 2-0 defeat for Portugal in Ireland, the Portuguese star was shown a red card for aggression against an opposing player, and will not be available for the team’s final match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

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