Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez has received a massive squad boost with four freshly crowned UEFA Champions League winners officially arriving at the national team camp.
The Paris Saint-Germain quartet of Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Gonçalo Ramos are set to join team training, just days before a highly anticipated international friendly against three-time African champions, Nigeria.
A Golden Contingent Bolsters Martinez’s Ranks
The four players had been granted extended leave and were the final contingent yet to report for international duty following PSG’s dramatic Champions League final triumph over Arsenal.
Mendes, Vitinha, and Neves all played vital roles as starters in the showpiece event, while Ramos featured as a late second-half stoppage-time substitute to help the French giants retain their European crown.
According to Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, Portugal’s technical staff conducted their final training session without the Parisian stars on Friday.
While the quartet is expected to be rested for Portugal’s immediate warm-up fixture against Chile at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor, they will be fully integrated and available to face the Super Eagles next Wednesday, provided they remain injury-free.
Contrasting Fortunes for the Super Eagles
While Martínez enjoys the luxury of a completely full complement of elite players, the same cannot be said for newly appointed Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle.
The Super Eagles manager is facing a massive selection headache after a demanding domestic season forced several of the country’s most lethal attacking weapons to withdraw from the travelling party.
Former African Footballers of the Year Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman both pulled out of the squad to recover from physical exhaustion, while dependable fullback Ola Aina was entirely omitted from the roster after picking up an injury during the closing stages of his club campaign.
Compounding Chelle’s worries, Portugal received an additional morale boost on Friday as former Chelsea forward João Félix successfully returned to the pitch, participating in the opening fifteen minutes of training before the media.
As both nations fine-tune their tactical setups, the influx of PSG’s European champions firmly positions Portugal as heavy favourites ahead of next week’s clash.