Portugal and Uzbekistan continue their World Cup campaigns on Tuesday at Houston Stadium, facing off in a Group K Round 2 clash.
The European side heads into the match with inconsistent form following a disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo in their opener.
Prior to the World Cup, Portugal looked sharp and confident, securing back-to-back wins in their warm-up games by beating Chile 2-1 and Nigeria 2-1.
However, failing to take all three points in their first group match has increased the pressure on them. They now need to respond quickly to avoid any early complications in the group stage.
Portugal team news
Head coach Roberto Martínez is facing growing scrutiny, particularly over his team’s lack of attacking sharpness after the underwhelming draw with DR Congo.
There is positive news for Portugal as Manchester City defender Rúben Dias has recovered fully from a minor injury and is available again.
Dias missed the opening match but is now expected to return straight into the starting lineup to strengthen the defense.
His return is likely to push young centre-back Tomás Araújo out of the starting XI, especially as Araújo has been training separately.
Up front, Martínez is expected to continue relying on 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo despite increasing criticism. Ronaldo has now gone ten consecutive major tournament matches without scoring, raising questions about his effectiveness.
In an attempt to add more creativity,
Martínez could introduce young winger Francisco Conceição into the starting lineup. Conceição made a strong impression after coming off the bench in the first match and may replace Pedro Neto on the right wing, offering more support to Bruno Fernandes in attack.
Portugal predicted lineup
Possible Portugal starting XI: Costa; Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes; Neves, Vitinha, Fernandes; Silva, Conceicao, Ronaldo
When will the match kick off?
The match will kick off at 6pm BST on Tuesday, 23rd June.
How to watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan?
For fans in the UK, the match will be broadcast live on ITV1.
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