Player with Benfica past released by Martínez after grandfather’s death | OneFootball

José Sá, former goalkeeper of the youth teams of Benfica, was released from the National Team duties following the passing of his grandfather. The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed that the Wolverhampton goalkeeper will not travel with the team to Dublin, where Portugal will face Ireland on Thursday at 19:45, in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup.

As a result of his absence, Roberto Martínez - who left a Benfica star out - called up João Carvalho, a young under-21 international from Braga, to fill the temporary absence of the usual third goalkeeper. The player from Minho joined the team after Wednesday's training session.

The FPF also informed that José Sá will return to the team on Friday, becoming available again for the match against Armenia, scheduled for Sunday at 14:00 at Estádio do Dragão. Portugal is approaching the final stretch of the qualifying phase very close to securing a spot in the 2026 World Cup, needing just one win or two draws in the remaining two matches.

After four rounds, the National Team leads Group F with 10 points (three wins and one draw), followed by Hungary (five points), Ireland (four), and Armenia (three). The absence of José Sá thus marks the preparation for a match that could confirm Portugal's qualification for the next World Cup.

This season, playing for Wolverhampton, José Sá – valued at 7 million euros – has played in five matches: four in the Premier League and one in the English League Cup. In the 40 minutes he was on the field, the 32-year-old goalkeeper conceded 15 goals. It is worth remembering that the Portuguese international played in the youth ranks of Clube da Luz in the 2010/11 season before moving to Marítimo.

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