The central Pepe, player of FC Porto, has been released from the first two games of the Portugal national football team that qualifies for the European Championship 2024, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced.
“Pepe has been relieved of the internship that the ‘AA’ national team starts in Cidade do Futebol to prepare for the double journey that marks the beginning of the qualifying phase of the European Championship to be played in Germany in 2024,” the FPF said. . on its official website.
According to the FPF, the 40-year-old power plant was “deemed unavailable by the FPF’s Health and Performance Unit and thus dismissed from the call”.
Pepe did not participate in the match FC Porto played at Sporting de Braga (0-0) today due to an injury, for the 25th round of the 1st Football League.
In view of the loss of the blue and white central defender, 25 players have been called up, including absolute debutant Diogo Leite, who plays for Union Berlin.
The Portuguese football team will make its Group J debut and qualify for the 2024 European Championship, hosting Liechtenstein at a meeting scheduled for Thursday at 7:45 PM at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.
Three days later, Roberto Martínez’s men travel to the Estádio do Luxembourgo to face the local team, also from 7:45 PM (in Lisbon).
Qualifying Group J for Euro2024 also includes Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovakia and Iceland, with Portugal needing to be in one of the top two places to have direct entry into the competition scheduled for Germany (June 14 to July 14).
List of the 25 called up:
– Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), José Sá (Wolverhampton, England) and Rui Patrício (Roma, Italy).
– Defenders: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United, England), João Cancelo (Bayern Munich, Ale), Rúben Dias (Manchester City, England), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain, Fra), António Silva (Benfica), Diogo Leite ( Union Berlin, Ale), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Fra) and Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund, Ale).
– Midfielders: Palhinha (Fulham, England), Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton, England), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, England), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, England), João Mário (Benfica), Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton, England), Otavio (FC Porto) and Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Fra).
– Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr, Ara), Gonçalo Ramos (Benfica), João Félix (Chelsea, England), Rafael Leão (AC Milan, Ita) and Diogo Jota (Liverpool, England)
Source: DN
