Portugal winger Rafael Leao is expected to miss the upcoming friendly against Nigeria after being shown a red card during his side's 2-1 victory over Chile on Saturday.
The 26-year-old received a straight red card late in the first half following an altercation with Chile central defender Iván Román.
The incident stemmed from a heated dispute for possession near the goal line involving João Cancelo and Felipe Faundez.
Román subsequently entered the confrontation and appeared to challenge Cancelo, leading to tensions escalating between players from both sides.
Leao intervened in the situation but quickly lost his composure, grabbing Román by the neck with both hands before punching him and pushing him to the ground.
The altercation sparked a mass confrontation involving several players, prompting the referee to take decisive action by dismissing both Leao and Román.
As a result, Leao will miss Portugal’s friendly clash against the Super Eagles in Leiria on Wednesday, while uncertainty remains over his availability for Portugal’s opening World Cup fixture against DR Congo.
Leao’s suspension comes as a boost for Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, who will be aiming to extend Nigeria’s recent impressive run of form.
The three-time African champions head into the encounter unbeaten in their last three friendly matches, recording victories over Zimbabwe and Jamaica in the Unity Cup, before earning a draw against Poland in Warsaw.
Adeyemi Adewale
Photo Credit: fpf.pt
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