Cristiano Ronaldo has been included in Jorge Jesus' extended squad for Portugal's upcoming matches against Denmark and Wales in the Nations League. The information was confirmed by the authoritative Portuguese publication “A Bola“.
The presence of the Portuguese national team captain in the preliminary squad is not a surprise, nor does it guarantee that he will make the final squad. However, it was a prerequisite for his eventual return to the “Sailors“, after he left the camp before the clash with Denmark, after warming up but never entering the game against Norway.
Ronaldo was temporarily suspended, and subsequently banned for 30 days by the Disciplinary Committee of the Portuguese Football Federation. However, his sanction expires before the start of the camp for the next two matches.
As a rule, the PFF sends clubs preliminary call-ups for about 50 players, which according to FIFA requirements must be done well before the announcement of the final list. This means that approximately half of the players on this initial list will not be included in Jesus' final plans. In any case, the door for Ronaldo's return remains open.
With four wins from four matches, Portugal has already secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League and needs at most just one more point to mathematically guarantee first place in the group.