Cristiano Ronaldo may not start at Hampden on Tuesday but that certainly does not mean Scotland can relax.
Nations League opponents Portugal have an array of top-quality attacking alternatives and the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football is unlikely to want to put his feet up altogether in Glasgow.
Head coach Roberto Martinez withdrew Ronaldo after 63 minutes in Saturday’s 3-1 win away to Poland, but explained after the match the 39-year-old was “perfect” and the switch was about managing minutes.
The veteran striker scored his 133rd Portugal goal in Warsaw and has found the net in all three wins in this campaign, including a late prod in Lisbon to break Scottish hearts.
“Age does not come into play, Ronaldo does not play as a 39-year-old,” said Martinez as the visitors chose to warm up at St Mirren’s SMiSA stadium in Paisley.
“We are assessing every player and how they feel. Cristiano has been working really well in this camp.
“I think the difficulty of playing two games away from home is more how can you prepare between matches? How can you recover with the players?
“I’ve got no doubt that Cristiano, after 60 minutes, can be involved in the second game. I don’t know if he can start or he can finish the game, but he can certainly be involved as he showed in the last game.”
As the Portugal squad warmed up in Paisley, hundreds gathered outside hoping for an autograph, a photo, or just a glimpse of Ronaldo, who has a staggering 906 career goals and wants a good few more.
However, Martinez insists there is no distraction, saying the superstar is “very easy to manage”.
“There are two aspects,” he added. “I manage the Cristiano Ronaldo that is trying to work hard to help the team to win tomorrow.
“When you arrive in a place like this, you get to know the iconic figure and the career of a player that is unique.
“There is not another player with more than 200 caps at international level, he’s an example. The number of goals that he’s scored, the trophies that he’s achieved.
“So, for me it’s very easy to manage the player that can help the team to win tomorrow.
“The rest is something for all of us to enjoy because, as a unique case, we can all learn from being close to him.”