Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal squad for UEFA Nations League fixtures

Cristiano Ronaldo is in the Portugal squad for their UEFA Nations League fixtures at the start of June.

The 37-year-old missed Manchester United's final match of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a hip flexor problem, but he is set to represent his country next month.

Portugal will take on Spain on June 2, Switzerland on June 5, Czech Republic on June 9 before facing Switzerland for the second time on June 12.

Fernando Santos's side booked their spot in the finals of the 2022 World Cup with a playoff victory over North Macedonia at the end of March, with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice in Porto.

A Selecao will now turn their attention to the start of their 2022-23 UEFA Nations League campaign, and they will be determined to get off to the best possible start against Spain at the start of next month.

© Reuters

Ronaldo scored 24 goals and registered three assists in 38 appearances for Man United during the 2021-22 campaign, while he has 115 goals in 186 appearances for Portugal.

RB Leipzig's Andre Silva and AC Milan's Rafael Leao will be hoping to be given the opportunity to make their mark in the final third of the field, while Braga's Ricardo Horta has also been named in the squad.

There are once again plenty of Premier League representatives in the squad, with Wolverhampton Wanderers trio Jose Sa, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho selected.

Manchester City's Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva have also been included, but there is no Ruben Dias, who was forced to miss the end of the 2021-22 campaign through injury.

Bruno Fernandes is also in the squad, with the 27-year-old entering the competition off the back of scoring 10 goals and registering 14 assists in 46 appearances for Man United last season.

© Reuters

Diogo Dalot, who plays alongside Ronaldo and Fernandes at Old Trafford, has also retained his spot in the squad, with the defender becoming a key player for the Red Devils in the second half of the season.

None of the players selected will be involved in this weekend's Champions League final, so Santos will be hoping to be able to call on the majority for the opener against Spain.

Portugal recorded a 3-2 win over Croatia in their last Nations League fixture at the end of 2020, but they ultimately finished second in League A Group 3 behind France despite picking up 13 points from six matches.

After the June fixtures, Santos's side will next be in Nations League action against Czech Republic on September 24 before taking on Spain three days later, while their 2022 World Cup opener is against Ghana on November 24.

Portugal squad

Goalkeepers: Diogo Costa (Porto), Rui Patricio (Roma), Jose Sa (Wolves)

Defenders: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Pepe (Porto), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), David Carmo (Braga), Domingos Duarte (Granada), Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders: Ruben Neves (Wolves), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Joao Moutinho (Wolves), Joao Palhinha (Sporting Lisbon), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Matheus Nunes (Sporting Lisbon), Vitinha (Porto)

Forwards: Andre Silva (RB Leipzig), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Otavio Monteiro (Porto), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Ricardo Horta (Braga), Rafael Leao (AC Milan)