Fernando Santos: "Cristiano's injury is nothing to worry about"

Portugal coach Fernando Santos feels sure that Cristiano Ronaldo's fitness problems will not affect the national team, and is confident that the Real Madrid forward will be back to peak form for EURO 2016.

"When I saw what happened in the Villarreal game, then Cristiano complaining and quitting the pitch, I was worried. Since then we have been informed about the situation and it's nothing to be alarmed about. I think things will work out fine", Santos explained in an interview today with Portuguese State news agency Lusa.

The coach added that, for personal reasons, he would love to see Cristiano win the Champions League with Real Madrid arguing that it would have a positive impact on the player's morale.

"Whatever happens, Cristiano is going to be extremely motivated when he joins up with the national team but if he arrives elated after winning the Champions League then that would be even better", he explained.

As for EURO 2016 which starts in just over a month's time, Santos mulled over Portugal's chances: "To reach the final, we will need to play against nations who, like us, are hoping to go far", he said, citing Germany, Spain and France as the favourites to lift the trophy.

Portugal are in Group F alongside Iceland, Austria and Hungría, and Santos revealed that he has more or less settled on the 23 players he will be taking to the tournament - a group which will not include Fábio Coentrão or Danny Alves but Atlético's Tiago has not been ruled out despite missing most of the season recovering from a fractured shin bone. "Tiago was an important and influential player in the classifying stage. We'll see", said Santos, adding that neither was Benfica sensation Renato Sanches guaranteed a place in his squad at EURO 2016.