Fernandes to miss Portugal’s Norway match

Portugal will leave Bruno Fernandes out of its Nations League match against Norway after the midfielder came off late in the team’s win over Wales, manager Jorge Jesus said. Jesus described Fernandes’s problem as complicated and said he would not risk the player in Sunday’s match in Oslo. Jesus said Fernandes had told him he had been playing through pain for three games, which was one factor affecting his performance against Wales. The manager said Fernandes’s case involved treatment and recovery time, but did not identify a diagnosis or say how long the issue might keep him out. The accounts of his symptoms and the decision to omit him stem from Jesus’s remarks; no separate medical assessment was provided. Fernandes started Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales and was substituted late in the match. Jesus said he had spoken with the midfielder and preferred to give him time to recover rather than risk aggravating the problem against Norway. He said he wanted Fernandes in good physical condition for Portugal’s next Nations League match, against Denmark in Copenhagen on Thursday. The absence leaves Fernandes’s participation against Denmark uncertain.