Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (AP/PTI) Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal’s squad for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers, his head coach Roberto Martinez named on Friday.Portugal is scheduled to face the Mexico National Soccer Team on March 28 at the Azteca Banorte Stadium, followed by a clash with the United States Men’s National Soccer Team on March 31 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.Ronaldo’s absence is due to a muscle injury he picked up while playing for Al-Nassr. The striker is recovering in Madrid after an initial rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that his return took a little longer than expected, leading to his omission from the team.However, Martinez played down concerns about the veteran’s fitness ahead of the World Cup.“The World Cup is not in danger! It is not in danger. It is a minor muscle injury and we think he can be back in a week or two. Everything Cristiano has done physically during the season shows that he is in great shape,” he said.The injury, identified as a hamstring problem after Al-Nassr’s match against Al Fayh, forced Ronaldo to withdraw despite being in top form. He currently leads the league race for the Golden Boot with 21 goals, while Al-Nassr sits at the top of the table with 67 points from 26 games.In another notable decision, Bernardo Silva was also left out, with Martinez confirming it was a “technical decision” based on medical information from his club.Portugal will begin preparations in Mexico next week, gathering on Monday and starting training on Tuesday. Looking ahead to the World Cup, Portugal have been drawn in Group K alongside Uzbekistan, Colombia and yet-to-be-decided qualifiers, with their campaign starting on June 17 in Houston.Ronaldo remains a central figure for Portugal on the global stage. The upcoming tournament will mark his sixth World Cup appearance, adding to a glittering international career that includes leading the nation to the UEFA Euro 2016 title and UEFA Nations League triumphs in 2019 and 2025.Portugal squad:Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Rui Silva (Sporting CP)Defenders: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), João Cancelo (FC Barcelona), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Renato Veiga (Villarreal), Antonio Silva (SL Benfica), Tomas Araujo (SL Benfica)Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Al Hilal), Samu Costa (Mallorca), Mateus Fernandes (West Ham), Joao Neves (PSG), Vitinha (PSG), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto)Forwards: Ricardo Horta (SC Braga), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), João Felix (Al Nassr), Francisco Trincão (Sporting CP), Francisco Conceicão (Juventus), Rafael Leão (AC Milan), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Goncalo Guedes (Real Ramososad (), Goncalo Guedes (Real Ramososad)
