Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out of Portugal’s opening Euro 2012 qualifiers
It’s the news that Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz was dreading in the build-up to his team’s opening Euro 2012 qualifiers – Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up an injury and will miss the first two matches.
The Portugal captain - and world’s most expensive player – sustained a knock to his right ankle in Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw against Real Mallorca yesterday evening, and will subsequently miss the next three weeks.
Portugal open their Euro 2012 qualification campaign against Cyprus on Friday, before facing Norway four days later. But they will now have to make do without the services of one of the most talented and prolific players in world football.
Although the national side will be expected to effortlessly breeze past minnows Cyprus, with or without Ronaldo, the away fixture against Norway will prove an altogether trickier fixture for Portugal to navigate.
Fortunately for Queiroz, he has the luxury of being able to call on Manchester United winger Nani as a replacement. The 23-year-old has started the season extremely brightly for the Premier League side, and continues to mature as a footballer with every passing month.
The Portugal head coach may also decide to hand a recall to the unreliable – but obviously talented – Ricardo Quaresma. The 26-year-old winger endured a difficult two-year spell after leaving Porto for Inter Milan, but is now plying his trade for Turkish side Beşiktaş and has since rediscovered his best form.
After the 2010 World Cup finals, where Portugal were knocked out by neighbours Spain in the last 16, influential midfielder Simão Sabrosa called time on his international playing career. Queiroz will be looking to the likes of João Moutinho, Miguel Veloso and Liverpool’s latest acquisition Raul Meireles to emerge from Simão’s shadow and lead by example.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo is also expected to miss Real Madrid’s next Primera Liga fixture against Osasuna, and the club’s first Champions League clash of the season against Ajax.
The 25-year-old was largely ineffective in Portugal’s qualification campaign for the 2010 World Cup after failing to score a single goal. But despite this, there’s little doubt that Queiroz, who nearly lost his job after this summer’s tournament, would much rather have Ronaldo on the pitch than the sidelines.
Anything less than two convincing performances without his talismanic captain and the unpopular Queiroz will be braced for yet more criticism from those back in Portugal.
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