Portugal seeks new striker after Cristiano Ronaldo's exit

Who will be Portugal's starting centre‑forward after Cristiano Ronaldo's withdrawal? Jorge Jesus has to choose between Gonçalo Ramos, Gustavo Varela and Fábio Silva, whose statistics range from 14 games and three goals (Ramos) to 16 games and six goals (Silva).

Jorge Jesus will have to appoint a new starting centre‑forward for the Portugal national team, after Cristiano Ronaldo's withdrawal from the squad. Ronaldo's withdrawal has been the focus of the news in recent days, following the announcement of Jorge Jesus's call‑up list for Portugal's upcoming fixtures. The national team manager chose three centre‑forwards: Gonçalo Ramos, Gustavo Varela and Fábio Silva. The coach will have to pick one of these three names to assume the role of starting centre‑forward.

Profile of the candidates

Gonçalo Ramos, because of his experience with the national team, is the main candidate for the position, despite not managing to have a significant role at AC Milan under Ruben Amorim. For the Rossoneri, the player has logged 14 matches and only three goals, plus two assists. Also in Serie A, Gustavo Varela is enjoying a dream start at Monza, which has opened the doors to the senior national team for him. The centre‑forward has 11 appearances and 11 goals, interesting numbers for his debut in Italy.

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Fábio Silva is in the Bundesliga, specifically at Borussia Dortmund, fighting for an important role in Niko Kovac's plans. So far, he has 16 matches, with six goals and four assists.

It is highly unlikely that Jorge Jesus will make any adjustment. The only scenario was to push Rafael Leão further forward on the pitch, but the Galatasaray winger is injured.