Roberto Martinez provides response when asked if Cristiano Ronaldo will start for Portugal against Poland
Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo will be available to play in the side's upcoming UEFA Nations League clash. A Selecao will take on Poland on Saturday, October 12 at the National Stadium in Warsaw.
Ahead of the game, Martinez was asked if the 39-year-old would be in the starting XI against Poland. He said that the starting lineup for the game had not been discussed yet, but that Ronaldo is in good shape and will be in the matchday squad.
"He had a good training camp in September. He is now training well. We haven't talked about the starting line-up yet, but I can say that he will be in the 26-man squad," the manager said (via TheNassrZone on X).
Cristiano Ronaldo has been in fine form leading into the international break. The Portuguese featured in six of Al-Nassr's eight games since the last international break, scoring four goals and providing an assist in that period.
During last month's international break, he was in the starting lineup against Croatia but came off the bench at halftime versus Scotland. Ronaldo was on the scoresheet in both games, notably scoring his 900th career goal against the former.
Thus, barring any injuries post-match issues, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is expected to lead his team against Portugal on Saturday. Cristiano Ronaldo is his nation's all-time goalscorer with 132 goals and 45 assists in 214 games. He is also the all-time top goalscorer and appearance-maker in international football.
Portugal are scheduled to play Poland and Scotland at the ongoing UEFA Nations League on October 12 and 15 respectively.
Robert Lewandowski showers praise on Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their Nations League clash
Poland forward Robert Lewandowski lauded Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of their Nations League clash on Saturday. He said about the Portuguese superstar (via BarcaUniversal):
"I fully understand what Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved throughout his career, and how he has impacted the history of football with his achievements and numbers. This will certainly remain engraved in history."
"Regardless of age, his numbers keep going up and not the other way around. Of course, he is an exception and there are very few exceptions like him," he added.
Portugal leads the standings in Group A1 of the Nations League with six points from two games. Meanwhile, Poland are third with three points, the same as second-placed Croatia, who have a better head-to-head record.