Portugal boss Roberto Martínez has admitted he is gutted that they have lost Manchester City’s Rúben Dias for this international break.
O Jogo cover comments from the Portugal manager today after he announced his squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Poland and Croatia.
Dias is a notable absentee from the group and won’t be adding to the 64 appearances he’s made for his country since his debut in May 2018.
That’s because he’s currently recovering from injury, having missed Manchester City’s 2-1 loss to Bournemouth six days ago and then the 4-1 loss to Sporting Club de Portugal earlier this week.
The Spaniard is more than happy to admit that he’ll miss the Manchester City star and what he can bring to his side.
“A team has to be prepared for the opponent and for injuries,” he said.
“Rúben Dias is a very important player for us, because he is a coach on the pitch. He is a key player; he communicates very well and controls the line defensive.
“Now is the opportunity for other players, but also a challenge for everyone. We need to be able to win games without Rúben Dias.”
Who Martínez turns to remains to be seen, although his options are hardly limited, with Tomas Araujo, Tiago Djaló, Renato Veiga and Antonio Silva all more than capable of filling the gap.
