Portugal have named their first squad without Cristiano Ronaldo, with Gonçalo Ramos and Rafa Leao included and Gustavo Varela earning his first call-up.
The squad after Ronaldo’s farewell
Ronaldo officially said goodbye to the Portugal national team on 5 November. Varela entered the squad for the first time.
Jesus on the team and Fábio Silva
Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said at a press conference for the international fixtures: “In the time we spent together before these call-ups, the team had already shown its technical and tactical qualities, as well as a strong bond between the players.”
He added: “The fact that many of them had already worked with me gave me an advantage. My real strength is that the players believe in the journey, in the philosophy and in the desire to keep winning.”
Jorge Jesus also confirmed Fábio Silva’s call-up and said: “As for Fábio Silva, he’s growing at his club and has played very well in recent games. His characteristics match my idea of a striker.”
Varela leads the Serie A scoring charts
The Monza striker is 21 years old and leads the Serie A scoring charts with eight league goals. His total includes a brace against Cagliari and the equaliser against Torino. He leads the scoring charts for Ivan Juric’s side, which is in the relegation battle. Varela’s form has drawn interest from bigger clubs.
Jorge Jesus said: “On Varela… he’s the top scorer in Italian football. To achieve that you need remarkable quality. Starting from that, I decided to put my faith in him, also because we mustn’t forget he’s only 21.”
Napoli track the striker
Napoli are reported to see Varela as their most concrete option in attack, although Monza do not want to sell him.
