Portugal have played two competitive games over the past week without captain Cristiano Ronaldo, but his exclusion from the squad has now been explained.
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The Portuguese did not feature in either of his country's two matches over the past week after he was left out of the squad.
Being that he is the captain, many people were confused with Ronaldo's absence from the side, especially given that he has not hinted at retirement.
Without Ronaldo, Portugal drew their friendly with Croatia 1-1 last Thursday, while, in their first game of the UEFA Nations League, they beat Italy 1-0 on Monday night, courtesy of an Andre Silva goal.
According to the Daily Express, the 33-year-old skipper requested a break from the international team following his big move to Juventus in the recent transfer window.
Although he has performed well and got into the right goalscoring positions in his first three Serie A matches for the Bianconeri, Ronaldo is yet to get off the mark for his new club.
For this reason, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner decided it might be best for him to focus on club football over the break to help find his best form.
Portugal manager Fernando Santos recently stated that he understands why Ronaldo requested time off.
"After talking to the player, and after he moved to Juventus with all the processes of adaptation that entails, we understand it was best for him to not be present for these games," he said.
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Ronaldo has played 154 games for Portugal so far, scoring 85 goals along the way.
Do you think this break will help Ronaldo find his best form for Juve? Let us know in the comments section below.
