Al Nassr midfielder Otávio is out of the 2024 European Championship. The 29-year-old midfielder, who has 20 caps for Portugal, picked up a muscle tear in his final club game of the season on Friday.
Curiously it is another Brazilian-born midfielder, Matheus Nunes, who has been called up as replacement.
The omission of Nunes from the original squad surprised many given his ball-carrying ability marked him out as a player with a different skillset from Portugal’s other midfielders.
Indeed, Seleção coach Roberto Martínez explicitly outlined precisely that point after the Sweden friendly in March in which the Manchester City man impressed.
Nunes has played 12 times for Portugal having decided to represent the Seleção in 2021 instead of his native Brazil.
By Tom Kundert
Related: Roberto Martínez announces “perfect mix of players” for Portugal’s Euro 2024 squad