Defender Toti Gomes was left out of Portugal’s final list of 23 footballers for Friday’s match against Slovakia and will miss the match that could guarantee Portugal’s qualification for Euro2024.
With only 23 players able to be included in the UEFA playing list, the Wolverhampton defender ended up being the ‘crossed out’ element in coach Roberto Martínez’s squad for the Group J seventh round match.
24-year-old Toti Gomes is part of the Spanish national coach’s selection for the third time, but has not yet made his debut for the national team and will watch the match against the Slovaks from the stands of Estádio do Dragão, in Porto .
A win will guarantee Portugal qualification for the European Championship, which will be the ninth Portuguese presence in the final stages of the competition and the eighth in a row. If Luxembourg loses to Iceland, a draw is sufficient.
Portugal will try to confirm its thirteenth consecutive presence in the final, between European and world championships, since 2000, and the most ‘calm’ qualifying phase in its history, having never qualified with three rounds to go.
After six rounds, the Portuguese team remains completely victorious and leads Group J with 18 points, five more than Slovakia, which is in second place. Luxembourg is third with 10, followed by Bosnia and Iceland, both with six, and Liechtenstein, still without points.
The first two places give direct access to the final phase of Euro2024, which will take place in Germany.
In addition to six wins in the same number of matches, Roberto Martínez’s team has a record of 24 goals scored and none conceded.
Portugal-Slovakia is scheduled for 7.45 pm and will be refereed by the Greek Tasos Sidiropoulos.
Source: DN
