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Updated March 24th, 2021 at 18:41 IST

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight? Portugal team news for Azerbaijan clash

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight? Portugal captain is likely to lead the line against Azerbaijan in their World Cup qualifying campaign opener.

Reported by: Sreehari Menon
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Portugal will take on Azerbaijan in the first of their three World Cup qualifying games during the current international break. The 2016 Euro and 2018 Nations League champions will hope to kick off their campaign with a win in what should be a comfortable group to progress from. However, much of Fernando Santos' plans revolved around Cristiano Ronaldo, whose involvement in the clash has been put into doubt. Here's the Cristiano Ronaldo injury update:

Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight? When is Cristiano Ronaldo coming back? 

Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading goal scorer in international football among active footballers, and the 36-year-old is unlikely to shy away from adding to his tally during the international break. The 36-year-old has been ever-present for Juventus this season, but will likely feature against Azerbaijan despite concerns over his workload management. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is currently at 102 international goals, just seven shy of record holder Ali Daei, with the Iranian legend leading international football's all-time leading goalscorer. 

Ronaldo has been in fine form for Juventus despite their struggles, scoring a staggering 30 goals in just 34 appearances this season. And while rumours surrounding is future set to dominate headlines, the 36-year-old remains unaffected by all the noise according to Portugal head coach Fernando Santos. In a press conference ahead of the Azerbaijan clash, Santos said, "When Cristiano is with the national team, he always comes with the same vision, the same passion, the same will, the same joy. He always gives 100 per cent when he comes to the national team. I don't think he has any problem in terms of mentality at the moment".

While the head coach did not give any hints, Ronaldo is expected to lead the line alongside Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, staving off competition from Frankfurt's Andre Silva. Portugal are expected to roll over their opponents on Wednesday night with the European minnows being one of the 36-year-old's favourite international opponents. Santos almost has a clean bill of health, except Rui Patricio, who suffered a horrific head injury against Liverpool earlier this month. While Pepe, Trincao, Nelson Semedo and William Carvalho, are amongst the notable absentees, Portugal have enough quality to put the Azerbaijan defence to the sword, who will be without defenders Tamkin Khalilzade and Rahil Mammadov. 

  • Predicted Portugal line-up: Anthony Lopes; Joao Cancelo, Jose Fonte, Ruben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro; Joao Moutinho, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva; Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota Silva, Joao Felix

(Image Courtesy: Cristiano Ronaldo Instagram)

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Published March 24th, 2021 at 18:41 IST

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