Cristiano Ronaldo sat out Portugal training on Wednesday as Otavio, Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes were all unavailable through injuries ahead of their final group game against South Korea.
Ronaldo became the first player to score in five different World Cups when he netted from the penalty spot against Ghana in his nation’s opening World Cup game.
The veteran forward tried to claim he had score Portugal's first goal against Uruguay in their second group game but despite Portugal reportedly presenting evidence that the 37-year-old headed home a cross from Bruno Fernandes, it was confirmed that the ball had gone straight into the net.
Portugal have already sealed their place in the Round of 16 while they only need a point in their final group clash against South Korea to ensure they advance through to the next stage as group winners. That means several alterations to their starting line-up are expected.
They had to train with Paris Saint-Germain wing-back Nunes who suffered a muscular injury in the win over Uruguay, while his club teammate Danilo also sat out the session as he continues to recover from broken ribs sustained during training. Otavio for his part is still not fully fit due to a muscular knock sustained in the opening win over Ghana.
Also absent from the session was Ronaldo, who – as reported by Marca – instead focused on individual training work rather than be put through his paces with the rest of the squad. It remains unclear if the unattached forward will be rested for the game against South Korea.
Have Your Say! Can Ronaldo lead Portugal to World Cup glory ? Tell us what you think here.
Ronaldo will certainly be keen to be involved from the start but Portugal boss Fernando Santos may view the game as an ideal opportunity to rotate his attacking options. Rafael Leao, Goncalo Ramos and Matheus Nunes will be among the players hoping to be promoted to the starting line-up.
Ronaldo has led the line for Portugal in each of their opening group games with former club teammate Bruno Fernandes in a playmaker role with Bernardo Silva and Joao Felix occupying wider attacking roles.
The Portuguese superstar ended his relationship with Manchester United by mutual consent last week, following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. He has switched fully to international mode and is aiming to break multiple different World Cup records.
