In order to form a group of 23 players, Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, on Tuesday, separated from three elements, before the match against Scotland.
As is the case with every official meeting on the international stage, there will only be 23 of them appearing on the match sheet. Indeed, Roberto Martinez, who used to expand his call-up lists to 26 players since he was at the helm of the Portugal national team, was forced to give up three elements on Tuesday, in order to face Scotland.
Three players from Portugal were excluded
Not surprisingly, it was some of the less experienced players on the roster who bore the brunt of UEFA's regulations. Called up for the first time in their careers for this second international match of the season, Samu Costa and Tomás Araujo are among the three players chosen by Roberto Martinez to remain in the stands on Tuesday evening, during the match between Scotland and Portugal.
Therefore, both players will not be in the match, like Pedro Neto, who was also sent off by the coach. The lesser evil for the summer arrival from Chelsea, who was able to take advantage of the last match so far, against Poland, to spend more than 80 minutes on the field.
No chances for Samu and Tomás Araujo
Regarding the other two countries excluded from the list, the scenario is less favorable. In their first appearance in the Portuguese group, Samu Costa and Tomás Araujo did not have the opportunity to show their abilities in a team that was already built without them.
As a reminder, Samu Costa recently had the opportunity to make his debut with the Seleção, but the few seconds he spent on the pitch during the Poland-Portugal match did not allow him to score points for the next call-up. For his part, Thomas Araujo, who arrived as a reinforcement to compensate for the absence of Gonzalo Inacio, did not have the opportunity to play in the starting lineup during the two matches that make up this international window.
It remains to be seen whether this is after the intended assembly Consolidating the group's first place in the Nations LeagueBoth players will be able to be the subject of new requests from their coach.
Alexandre Ribeiro launched Trivela.fr in 2019 and today runs it alongside his colleagues. Passionate about Portuguese football as a whole, and especially the Portuguese national team, with all his energy and involvement he brings this media to life every day.
