Cristiano Ronaldo may miss Portugal’s last group game due to a late fitness test before Friday’s match against South Korea.
Ronaldo is a doubt for Portugal’s training session on Thursday afternoon, according to head coach Fernando Santos, but the team has prepared for his absence.
‘Let’s wait and see (if he is fit). Ronaldo will train shortly, in theory,’ Santos added. ‘I’m not even sure whether it’s 50/50.’ Cristiano was substituted in both games. There is a backup plan in case he is unable to play.’
Ronaldo is one behind Portuguese icon Eusebio’s record of nine World Cup goals for the nation but the forward thought he had equaled that in the 2-0 win over Uruguay.
He celebrated the first goal of the night after believing he had headed Bruno Fernandes’ cross past Sergio Rochet.
But FIFA credited the goal to Fernandes and ‘highly accurate’ data taken from a sensor inside the ball later proved Ronaldo had made no contact.
Santos was asked whether he or Ronaldo had made any request for the goal to be given to Ronaldo, given the striker’s obsession with records.
Me? Who am I going to approach? I don’t know anyone from FIFA, and neither does the national team.
‘It was a team goal, and that is all that matters.’
Portugal only needs a point to win Group H, but South Korea must win to advance to the knockout stages.
