Portugal replaces goalkeeper ahead of Turkey qualifier

Posted March 22, 2022 7:00 am

The Associated Press

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Portugal has called up Wolverhampton goalkeeper JosÃ© SÃ¡ to replace Anthony Lopes for the World Cup qualifier against Turkey on Thursday.

The Portuguese soccer federation said Lopes has been ruled out because of an undisclosed injury.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos also had to replace Pepe with Tiago DjalÃ³ on Monday after the veteran defender tested positive for COVID-19.

Portugal hosts Turkey in Porto. The will play either Italy or North Macedonia in the final round of the qualifying playoffs if it advances.

It wasn't yet clear if the 39-year-old Pepe would be able to play the second qualifier next week if Portugal advanced.

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.