Pedro Neto and Pedro Gonçalves drop out of Portugal squad for World Cup qualifiers | OneFootball

Roberto Martínez will be without two of the players he selected for Portugal’s upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header against the Republic of Ireland and Armenia.

Sporting forward Pedro Gonçalves limped off the pitch in Sporting’s victory over Santa Clara in the Azores on Saturday night and will be out of action for several weeks with a muscle injury.

Meanwhile, Chelsea winger Pedro Neto has also been exempted from reporting for duty despite playing and scoring in the Blues’ 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend.

An FPF statement explained: “The decision was taken after conversations between Chelsea’s medical department and the Portuguese Football Federation’s Health and Performance Department, owing to fitness issues limiting the player.”

No replacements have been called up. Martínez therefore sees his initial 26-man squad reduced to 24 players, who will begin the training camp at Cidade do Futebol today, Monday 10 November.

Portugal play Ireland in Dublin on Thursday before finishing their Group F schedule with a home fixture against Armenia in Porto on Sunday.

The Seleção need one point from the two matches to book their place at the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada next summer.