Cristiano Ronaldo Skips Portugal Training After Shock Jorge Jesus Rift Reports
Cristiano Ronaldo missed Portugal’s team training again amid reports of tension with coach Jorge Jesus. The 41-year-old was left on the bench during Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway and has since trained only in the gym.
Ronaldo, who has 146 international goals, is chasing 1,000 career goals and is now a doubt for Thursday’s Nations League match against Denmark.
As the Portugal squad prepares for its Nations League clash against Denmark, Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence from team training has raised questions about his availability. The 41-year-old forward has not trained with the group since Portugal’s 2-1 victory over Norway on Sunday and has instead completed gym sessions, according to the Portuguese Football Federation. Ronaldo was an unused substitute against Norway after starting Portugal’s previous match, a 1-0 win over Wales, where he played 67 minutes.
Coach Jorge Jesus had previously said he wanted to manage Ronaldo’s playing time because Portugal face 4 matches in 11 days during the international break. Jesus had also indicated that Ronaldo could feature against Norway, but the match situation prevented him from entering the field. Reports in Portuguese media have suggested tension between Ronaldo and Jesus following his omission from the Norway game.
Federation president Pedro Proença reportedly met with both men, although the federation only confirmed that Proença was with the squad. Ronaldo has scored 146 international goals for Portugal and is chasing 1,000 career goals, currently sitting 21 goals short of the landmark. He also posted a picture wearing Portugal’s tracksuit on Instagram. Portugal currently leads Nations League Group A4 with 6 points from 2 matches, while Denmark and Norway have 3 points each.