Scolari calls up Ronaldo for World Cup qualifier Sunday November 14, 2004
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
Ignoring complaints from Manchester United, Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has called up star winger Cristiano Ronaldo once again as part of a virtually unchanged roster for the team's upcoming World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg.
United, fearing too many games with the national team could harm the talented striker's performance, had urged that the teenager player would be rested.
FC Porto's striker Hugo Almeida is the only new face on the squad that beat Russia 7-1 last month, replacing Benfica's Nuno Gomes who suffered knee injury last weekend in a domestic League game.
Picked again as forwards were Fulham's Luis Boa Morte and Paris Saint-Germain's Pauleta.
Portugal, which shares the lead in Group 3 with Slovakia on 10 points, plays Luxembourg, bottom of the group with zero points, next Wednesday.
Uncapped defender Jorge Ribeiro, younger brother of FC Porto's midfielder Nuno Maniche, was summoned again after being called up to play previous group matches against Liechtenstein and Russia.
Ribeiro plays for Gil Vicente, which lies bottom of the Portuguese League.
Defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira of Chelsea join Deportivo de La Coruna's Jorge Andrade, Marco Caneira from Valencia and Benfica's Miguel Monteiro in defense.
Scolari again left Fernando Couto, the 35-year-old Lazio defender who has not played since Euro 2004, out of the team.
- Source AFP
