Pepe tests positive, ruled out of qualifier against Turkey

Posted March 21, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Veteran defender Pepe has been ruled out of Portugal's World Cup qualifier against Turkey after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday.

The Portuguese Football Federation said Pepe has gone into isolation and Tiago DjalÃ³ of French club Lille was called as his replacement ahead of Thursday's playoff game in Porto.

It wasn't yet clear if the 39-year-old Pepe, who plays for Porto, would be able to play the second qualifier next week if Portugal advanced past Turkey.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos also won't be able to count on the injured RÃºben Dias, the team's other regular starting central defender.

Midfielder RÃºben Neves is also unavailable because of an injury.

___

More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers MLS Pro Sports Soccer Sports Sports Leagues Sports Types

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.