Roberto Martinez states his verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo’s availability for Portugal’s Euro 2024 clash against Georgia

Cristiano Ronaldo to play against Georgia – Reports

Despite Portugal qualifying for the round of 16 in the ongoing UEFA Euro 2024 after two back-to-back wins against Czechia and Turkey, head coach Roberto Martinez has insisted that his star number seven Cristiano Ronaldo will play against Georgia in their last Group F fixture of the tournament.

However, reports termed that Roberto Martinez did earlier hint towards resting several players leading into the round of 16. But, it seems though he is now keen on giving his key players as much game time as possible before they hit the pitch in the crucial round of 16 fixtures.

Regarding CR7’s involvement in Portugal’s upcoming match against Georgia, Martinez reportedly stated – “He is an important player. He had a very consistent season (on the club front) and played every match, playing a lot of minutes”. “To continue the competitive pace, it is not a good idea to stop him playing now and then reactivate him in another six days”, the Portugal boss further inflicted.

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Roberto Martinez also suggested that he wants to win their next game against Georgia and is currently not thinking about the round of 16 opponents. Also, the thing making the case for Cristiano Ronaldo to start against Georgia is that other players like – Diogo Jota, and Goncalo Ramos aren’t fully fit enough at this stage in time to land a full quota of 90 minutes as per Roberto Martinez. CR7 is yet to find the back of the net in Euro 2024, but he does seem lively on the pitch and has an assist to his name in the tournament so far.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s unselfish pass to Bruno Fernandes in Portugal’s win over Turkey was applauded by former Man United teammate

Cristiano Ronaldo had a decent chance to score his first goal in the UEFA Euro 2024 when he decided to pass the ball to his teammate Bruno Fernandes in Portugal’s match against Turkey. Fernandes easily slotted the ball inside the empty net to give his side a thumping 3-0 win on the day.

Applauding this gesture by CR7, his former Man United teammate and former England international Brown stated his thoughts. “I am looking at his face (Ronaldo’s) afterward and he was thinking ‘I could have just slotted that past the keeper’, but that is Ronnie (Ronaldo), that is what he has always strived for”, speaking on the Podcast named ‘Euro Thrash’ Brown asserted.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a major player for Portugal in their UEFA Euro 2024 journey. If the nation aims to lift the trophy time around, the veteran number seven has to make significant contributions throughout the competition.

Also Read: Georgia vs Portugal Preview, Prediction, Lineups and Team News | Euro 2024