Ronaldo took a break from friendlies due to gastroenteritis
* Portugal - Nigeria: 1:45 am on November 18, Hanoi time.
"Ronaldo has gastroenteritis, so he won't be attending tomorrow's match. Ronaldo also didn't train today. He stayed in his room to rest and recover," said Portugal coach Fernando Santos. during a press conference at the Oeiras headquarters, outside Lisbon on the evening of November 16.
Gastroenteritis is an infection of the digestive tract that causes diarrhea and other symptoms such as abdominal pain or nausea. Ronaldo's problem is not too serious, he still came back to play the opening match against Ghana on January 24, but as Santos revealed, the 37-year-old striker is tired because he lost a lot of water.
The Portugal coach laughed when asked if Ronaldo made up the story of gastroenteritis to avoid the noise from his interview on the Piers Morgan Uncensored program that was causing shock.
"If it was another player, no one would ask this. I don't think he's making excuses for his absence. Ronaldo really has gastroenteritis. He's tired," added Santos.
In an interview on November 13, Ronaldo shocked when he accused Man Utd of betraying him, criticized the owners for abandoning the club and declared no respect for coach Erik ten Hag. On November 16, the first part of the 90-minute interview was broadcast, capturing attention in the context of the Portuguese team preparing to play the last friendly match before the World Cup.
According to Santos, Ronaldo's interview with Piers Morgan is a personal matter, very normal, the whole Portuguese team understands and respects that. "I did not hear any player mention that interview. The only thing we talked about was the preparation for the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo's interview did not affect the team at all," said the Portuguese coach. continue talking.
"I have complete confidence in the team that Portugal have. Not only Ronaldo, every player is focused. They make me feel secure in the focus and ambition of the team for the next tournament." , Santos shared.
