Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Portugal's first Euro 2016 qualifier on September 7 against Albania. The team's medics have deemed him unfit to play, ruling him out of the contest.
Cristiano Ronaldo deemed unfit, will miss Portugal Euro 2016 qualifier
The Portugal medics did not clear him to play.
Warren Little
“Regardless of whether he has been playing more or less regularly, at the moment he can’t play,” Portugal manager Paulo Bento said at a press conference.
Ronaldo injured his left leg in the spring and was limited at the tail end of Real Madrid’s season. He still played, and played well, in helping his club win the Champions League, but he was clearly battling an injury. It didn’t get much better as Ronaldo played in the World Cup, but said afterward that he wasn’t at full fitness. He has been slow to get back to 100 percent with Real Madrid now that their new season is underway too, although he did start the club’s first match of the La Liga campaign.
Portugal should not have a problem qualifying for Euro 2016. The expended 24-team field should make it rather easy for them to get in and Ronaldo is missing a match against a weak Albania side. While he is undoubtedly central to everything that Portugal do, they should make it through this match with ease and even if they don’t, it’s not as if the Portuguese will be flirting with elimination.
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