The reason Roberto Martinez has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal's upcoming match has reportedly been revealed.
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According to ESPN, the 39-year-old will play no part in A Selecao's international friendly against Sweden on Thursday as he is being given a rest by manager Martinez.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is believed to be on a small vacation with his family in Saudi Arabia, with the Saudi Pro League on a hiatus due to the international break.
Ronaldo was initially included in Martinez's preliminary 32-man squad, but is among a number of regulars being afforded some rest, including Manchester United's Diogo Dalot and Barcelona's Joao Felix.
The Al Nassr superstar is expected to play a role in Portugal's exhibition match against Slovenia next week Tuesday, though, with Ronaldo set to be a crucial member of the squad ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
Questions over his future in international football were asked following the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, after ex-coach Fernando Santos dropped him to the bench in the latter stages of the tournament.
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The ex-Manchester United man was named on the bench before Portugal beat Switzerland in the round of 16, and again in their 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco days later.
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