Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo has been withdrawn from the national squad for UEFA European Championship 2020, following his positive test for COVID-19. The Manchester City defender had undergone a rapid antigen test on Saturday, 12th June.
Euro 2020 has been rocked by quite a few positive cases across different nations. Spanish captain Sergio Busquets and Diego Llorente recently tested positive, while Netherlands’ Jasper Cillessen and Sweden’s Dejan Kulusevski were amongst the earliest ones to return a positive test.
Diogo Dalot, who plays for the other side of Manchester United yet spent the previous season on loan at AC Milan, has been called up to the squad.
The road ahead for Portugal
Cancelo’s unavailability will be a major blow for A Selecao, as he was almost nailed on for a right-back role. The 27-year-old played well for Manchester City in the recently-concluded season and also played a crucial role in the Cityzens’ triumph in the Premier League.
Though Dalot has been called up to fill his shoes, Wolverhampton Wanderers‘ right-back Nelson Semedo is likely to slot in that position, given that Dalot is yet to make his senior debut for his nation.
Portugal are placed in the much-discussed ‘Group of Death’ in Euro 2020, alongside France, Germany and Hungary. They will start their campaign on Tuesday, 15th June, with a game against Hungary. The match will be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
