Jorge Jesus gives the saying for unsaid and double stripes for Portugal-Gales

A the absence of Gonçalo Inácio and Fábio Silva is the main highlight of the final list of 23 players summoned by Jorge Jesus for the meeting of the inaugural day of the group phase of the League of Nations, which will place, face to face, Portugal and Wales, at the José Alvalade Stadium, from 19h45 (time of Continental Portugal) this Thursday.

Sporting's central defense and Borussia Dortmund's advance were widely praised by the Spanish successor Roberto Martínez, at the announcement of the 25 elected for the first four rounds of the competition last Friday, but ended up falling from the final batch published, however, on UEFA's official platforms.

“Gonçalo Inacio, for what he has done, over the years, in the selection and in his team... They say it's not a good time right now. It's an opinion. My opinion is different, I characterize players by quality. Then whether they're okay or not depends on the period of the season. I believe in his characteristics and I believe that, with me, he will play well ", shot, at the time, before the journalists.

“Fábio Silva has different conditions from all other advanced ones. Gonçalo Ramos and even Cris are players who can't pull the game. Among the other two advanced ones that could also be, André [Silva] and the [Gonçalo] Patience, he is one of the players who is completely different. Besides, he's 24. All those who are summoned can be holders”, he added.

Now it remains to be seen whether the pair will have the opportunity to show what it is worth in the three matches that follow for the main national selection, against Norway (on Sunday at the Ullevaal Stadion), Denmark (on Thursday at Parken) and, once again, Norway (on Sunday this time, at the Dragon Stadium).

The last two in the League of Nations group phase will be booked for November. There, the team of quinas will have ahead Denmark (on the 14th, Braga Municipal Stadium) and Wales (only three days later, at Cardiff City Stadium), knowing beforehand that only the first two classifieds will be ascertained for the quarter finals.

Portugal is, moreover, the formation that most often erected this trophy, more specifically, by two, in the first edition (in the 2018/19 sports season) and the last (in 2024/25). In the middle, they had the feast France and Spain (wherein, in 2020/21, the proof was not contested, the result of the Covid-19 pandemic).

The Portugal-Country of Wales, remember, will count on a mostly Lithuanian arbitration team, led by Donatas Rumsas, which will have as assistants Aleksandr Radiu and Dovydas Suziedèlis, as fourth referee Robertas Valikonis and as AVAR Donatas Simenas. The exception will be VAR, the German Soren Storks.

The list of 23 convoked to Wales Portugal

Network guard: Diogo Costa, Rui Silva and Samuel Soares;

Defences: João Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Reuben Dias, Tomás Araújo, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes and Nuno Tavares;

Medium: João Palhinha, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, João Neves and Bruno Fernandes;

Advanced: Francisco Conceição, Francisco Trincão, Rafael Leão, Pedro Neto, João Félix, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonçalo Ramos.