Portugal Euro 2024 squad: Who will Roberto Martinez take to Germany?

Portugal are blessed with a strong pool of goalkeepers heading into the tournament. Porto’s young stopper Diogo Costa – linked with several Premier League sides in the recent past – has emerged as the No.1, but should he not be available, both Roma’s Rui Patricio and Wolves’ Jose Sa are more than capable of stepping in.

Barring any injuries, that trio will be on the plane to Germany. If one of them is ruled out, Lyon’s Anthony Lopes or Real Betis stopper Rui Silva seem best place to step in.

Portugal’s defensive options are strong, too. Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo are nailed-on starters at the back, while Manchester United star Diogo Dalot has proved a popular choice down the left-hand side of defence.

The question of who will partner Dias at centre-back is more open. Martinez has flipped between a back four and back three since taking over, with youngsters Goncalo Inacio and Antonio Silva both receiving minutes. Below them in the pecking order are Wolves’ Toti Gomes and the ageless Pepe, who gave a timely reminder of his talents in a dramatic Champions League performance against Arsenal recently. Union Berlin’s Diogo Leite have also put himself into contention after sneaking into the March squad.

In the full-back positions, Bayern Munich’s Raphael Guerreiro and PSG’s Nuno Mendes should make the cut, though whether they can force themselves into the starting line-up remains to be seen. Porto right-back Joao Mario could miss out, but is pushing hard to board the plane.

Bruno Fernandes was the only player who featured in each of Martinez’s first 10 games in charge, but the other midfield positions are more open. Ruben Neves and Otavio moving to the Saudi Pro League has not affected their international prospects, while holding midfielders Danilo Pereira and Joao Palhinha will provide some much-needed steel.

Vitinha also has a good chance of making the cut, as does Benfica youngster Joao Neves. Matheus Nunes missed the most recent games through injury, but seems likely to be included in the squad. Meanwhile, Renato Sanches’ miserable Roma season means he needs a miracle to be considered.

When Martinez took over, the question he had to ask straight away was whether he would continue relying on Cristiano Ronaldo as his go-to stiker. He opted to stick by the legendary forward and Ronaldo has thanked him for his faith by scoring 10 goals in his first nine games.

Bernardo Silva has been another mainstay of Martinez’s attack, with Joao Felix and Rafael Leao also featuring regularly. Sidelined Liverpool star Diogo Jota should be back fully fit for Euro 2024 too, while PSG’s Goncalo Ramos will be ready to deputise for Ronaldo.

Aside from this high-profile talent, there is a cluster of Portuguese-based attackers pushing for a spot in the squad; most notably Braga pair Ricardo Horta and Bruma.

Costa seems to have the goalkeeper spot laid nailed down, with Dias, Dalot and Cancelo certain picks in defence. It’s a coin toss for the other centre-back position, but Inacio probably has the edge at the time of writing.

Palhinha should slot into defensive midfield, flanked by Fernandes and one of Nunes, Otavio or Vitinha. There’s no prizes for guessing who’ll be leading the line, with Bernardo playing down the right. That leaves just the left-forward berth free, and it’s a tough one to call, with Felix and Leao hardly enjoying vintage seasons this time out and Jota suffering from injury problems.

Portugal (4-3-3): Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Inacio, Dalot; Palhinha, Nunes, Fernandes; Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Felix.

Pedro Goncalves has been tearing up the Primeira Liga for several seasons, but Martinez refuses to entertain the idea of calling him up – much to the chagrin of Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim. “Goncalves is an unlucky player, because the competition for his position is very high,” he explained to O Jogo recently.

Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira’s lack of minutes means he surely won’t make the cut, while the formerly highly-rated Goncalo Guedes and Andre Silva are both way out of contention due to poor club form.

Joao Mario and Rafa Silva have significant experience, but they each retired from international duty in the fairly recent past.