Martínez: Benfica target left out after requesting omission | OneFootball

Raphael Guerreiro, European champion with Portugal in 2016 and player for Bayern Munich, was not called up by Roberto Martínez this Friday for the upcoming preparation matches. The coach was questioned about having only Nuno Mendes as a natural left-back, despite João Cancelo and Diogo Dalot being able to play on both flanks, and he provided his reasons.

"There are situations where we need to respect the player. Raphael Guerreiro asked to be left out of the Nations League, so he is not a player on our lists," he explained after announcing the list of selected players at the City of Football in Oeiras.

In December, it was reported that Raphael Guerreiro was targeted by Benfica to strengthen the squad. According to information provided by expert Ekrem Konur, the club's management closely monitored the situation of the Portuguese international. The management led by Rui Costa evaluated the possibility of making a concrete proposal to secure the left-footed player.

António Silva and Tomás Araújo were the Benfica players called up by Roberto Martínez for the National Team. With names like João Cancelo, João Neves, João Félix, Gonçalo Ramos, and Gonçalo Guedes, the two central defenders will be present in the matches against Mexico and the USA.

This season, wearing the Bayern Munich jersey, Raphaël Guerreiro - valued at 6 million euros - played 22 matches: 12 in the Bundesliga, seven in the UEFA Champions League, two in the DFB-Pokal, and one in the Super Cup. In the 881 minutes he was on the field, the defender scored four goals and made two assists.

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