Fernando Santos to name his Portugal squad - who is set to get a call-up?

In what is set to be the most complicated squad that Fernando Santos has named since becoming manager of the Portugal national team, here is a look at who could be on the verge of getting a call-up.

It has been a season like no other. The Covid-19 pandemic completely disrupted the football calendar, grinding football to a halt for three months and ensuring that the schedule is as hectic as it has ever been before.

What makes this a particularly complex decision process for Fernando Santos is the fact that so much has happened, and is set to happen, in such a short space of time. And Santos himself admited on the 20th August that he “has no idea” who he’s going to call up. The likes of Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo at Manchester City played in the Champions League as recently as the 15th August, the duo not having a proper holiday for over a year, while Anthony Lopes played even more recently for Lyon, their semi-final with Bayern Munich taking place just days ago, on the 19th.

Similarly, the Wolverhampton Wanderers contingent have also been playing recently, facing Sevilla on the 11th August - could they be left out for a much-needed rest after such a long season and with the new campaign just around the corner?

The same is true for talisman Cristiano Ronaldo - he played in the Champions League round of 16 and has been on holiday, though two years ago he played none of Portugal’s Nations League group stage games, and the same could be true this time around.

Not only that, but there could be a major problem with SL Benfica; they are to play the Champions League third qualifying round very soon after the international break, and their players could therefore also be omitted from the squad.

Ultimately, with both of these matches competitive fixtures, you would expect Santos to go as strong as possible, and though there may be a couple of major absences, you would expect most players would be very keen to represent their nation yet again and partake in these upcoming fixtures.

But this is undoubtedly the toughest squad to predict in many years - that won’t stop us from trying though…

What could the squad look like?

Goalkeepers

In goal, you would still anticipate Rui Patricio to be involved in team proceedings even if he has had a long season and the new campaign is just around the corner - though for the first time in years, it is absolutely not guanateed. Anthony Lopes is back available for selection after a brief break from international duty, and Santos would love to call him up. Although he played in the Champions League semi-final on the 19th August, the French Ligue 1 season was terminated early due to the pandemic, and therefore Lopes has had a long spell without playing. The new French season is already back underway too, with Lyon playing on the 30th August, so there’s even more reason that he can be called up with few issues. Jose Sa would ordinarily likely be the third-choice goalkeeper, though he has been injured, and his Olympiakos side play in the Greek Cup just days before the first match.

Possible goalkeeper choices? - Rui Patricio, Anthony Lopes, Beto.

Defenders

At centreback, Ruben Semedo will likely still be unavailable, having tested positive for Covid-19. He likely would have earned a place in Santos’ plans had he not caught the virus. The experienced duo of Pepe and Jose Fonte will likely be involved though, the former having had his season finish at the end of July, giving him a sufficient break to make it back in time, while the latter’s new campaign is already back underway. Ruben Dias is a bit more of a doubt, with Benfica due to play a crucial one-off game in the Champions League third qualifying round soon after; Benfica may ask for him to be left out as a result. Domingos Duarte should get a call-up after an excellent campaign.

At left back, both Raphael Guerreiro and Mario Rui should be both available and selected, while right back is slightly more difficult to call. Nelson Semedo had a poor game for Barcelona in his last outing, when the Spanish giants were stunned in an 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich. However, with Ricardo Pereira injured, there’s still a great chance that Semedo will be included. Joao Cancelo is also likely to be involved.

Possible defender choices? - Pepe, Jose Fonte, Domingos Duarte, Ruben Dias; Raphael Guerreiro, Mario Rui; Nelson Semedo, Joao Cancelo.

Midfielders

In terms of midfielders, you would expect that Danilo Pereira would be in the squad, fully fit and having had a suitable break. It’s challenging to predict whether Ruben Neves, and his teammate Joao Moutinho, will be included though, as they ultimately have had very little time off. The former is more likely to get a call-up of the two of them. If Neves is left out, you’d expect Sergio Oliveira to get called up instead.

We should also see Renato Sanches get a spot in the squad having had a terrific season with Lille, truly revitalising his career. With the French league season back underway, we should see Sanches in the fold. Everton’s Andre Gomes may also be brought into the squad should Moutinho be rested, though Pizzi, who had a very solid season for Benfica, could also be involved, even if his club will have a crucial match on the horizon. Bruno Fernandes, the Manchester United talisman, is also expected to be included in the squad and very much in the starting XI.

William Carvalho is a favourite of Fernando Santos and is critical in the way Portugal play, though that he only played 13 league games last season could work against him. Nevertheless, because of his importance, there’s a good chance he will be involved.

Had these been friendlies, we may have seen more experimentation, with perhaps new Sporting man Pedro Goncalves given a chance.

Possible midfielder choices? - Danilo Pereira, Ruben Neves, Renato Sanches, William Carvalho, Pizzi, Bruno Fernandes.

Forwards

Again, quite the challenge to anticipate who Santos may opt for up front, with plenty of attacking options to choose from. There is a strong possibility that Ronaldo may be rested, as was the case this time two years ago just after the World Cup. Bernardo Silva will likely get a call-up, while Goncalo Guedes is also in with a shout. The Wolves boys may well be given some time off, so may not be included in the squad, though there’s every chance that they will be. Joao Felix may also get a chance, while we could well see Paulinho called up to the senior national team for the very first time after an excellent campaign with Braga.

Possible forward choices? - Bernardo Silva, Rafa Silva, Goncalo Guedes, Joao Felix, Paulinho, Andre Silva.

Portugal match from 2015. Photo author: Clement Bucco-Lechat. License link.