Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Portugal training on Wednesday two days before their final group-stage match in Qatar.
Portugal has 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.
Portuguese publication Abola suggests there is no physical issue with the former Manchester United forward, and that he is conducting individual training in the gym.
As such his absence is not thought to be a concern for his country, and the 37-year-old was not the only one to miss out on his country’s penultimate practice session before meeting South Korea on Friday, November 2nd, 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the 37-year-old has reportedly been offered the chance to become the highest-paid sportsperson of all time by Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo becomes a free agent after terminating his contract due to his explosive interview with Piers Morgan before the World Cup started in Qatar.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still keen to play Champions League football and has not agreed on the offer of a two-and-a-half-year contract worth £173 million a year from Saudi Arabian Powerhouse Al-Nassr, despite reports in Marca.
The Portugal international was pushing for a move away from Old Trafford in the summer but did not get his wish as he was determined to play Champions League football, rejecting a team from Saudi Arabia in the process.
Porto midfielder Otavio and PSG pair Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes similarly missed out, with the former going through recovery work and the latter duo still recovering from their injuries.
The Euro 2016 champions made it through to the knockout stages of the Qatar World Cup with a game to spare, following up a thrilling 3-2 victory over Ghana with the win against Uruguay on Monday.
Although he contrived a dubious penalty against Ghana and scored from the spot to become the first male player to score in five different World Cups, there was a high-profile debate over whether he managed to add to his tally against Uruguay.
The forward claimed his country’s first goal of the night, after believing he had met a Fernandes cross in the air to head past Sergio Rochet, although it later transpired he had not made any contact.
A sensor inside the Adidas Al Rihla match ball confirmed that he failed to reach the ball, and the goal was attributed to Fernandes, who claimed his second from 12 yards in injury time.
It is yet to be seen whether he will feature against Son Heung-min’s South Korea on Friday night, with Santos likely to rest those who have featured heavily so far.
Should he take to the field, though, Ronaldo will have a chance to equal Portuguese icon Eusebio’s long-standing record of nine World Cup goals – with the 37-year-old already believing he had done so on Monday.
