Ronaldo Misses Group Training Before Portugal’s Denmark Match

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was left unused in a 2-1 Nations League win over Norway and missed the team’s next group training session, prompting reports of tension with coach Jorge Jesus ahead of the match against Denmark. The Portuguese Football Federation said Ronaldo trained individually at the team hotel because the stadium lacked equipment for his prescribed workout. His availability for Thursday’s match had not been confirmed in the reports. Jesus said he had considered bringing Ronaldo on against Norway but decided against it as the game developed. Reports said the coach had expected to use the forward for part of the match, but the decision left Ronaldo on the bench for the full game. Portugal won after Gonçalo Ramos scored the decisive goal. Ronaldo’s absence from group training added to questions about his relationship with Jesus. The federation’s explanation was that Ronaldo needed equipment unavailable at the stadium; it did not establish whether the training arrangement was connected to any disagreement.