Rúben Dias ruled out of Portugal's World Cup opener as Martínez avoids risk

Dias ruled out

Roberto Martínez told a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday that Rúben Dias "is not 100 percent for tomorrow" and would not play in the Group K opener. The Manchester City defender has not trained with the squad since the team arrived at its camp in Palm Beach, Florida.

He is not 100 percent and it's important not to risk. He is not fit for the game. He is working well, but it's important to think about the period when Rúben will be at 100 percent.

Injury-hit season

Dias was always the outfield player carrying the most physical limitations after a difficult season. Two separate injuries kept him out of several matches for his club. Ahead of Wednesday's match he managed only a warm‑up run with the group before undergoing individual work.

Gonçalo Inácio, Tomás Araújo and Renato Veiga are the central defenders available to Martínez for the fixture in Houston.

Group K schedule

The match against DR Congo kicks off at 12:00 local time (18:00 in Lisbon). Portugal's campaign continues against debutants Uzbekistan on 23 June, also in Houston at the same local time, and closes against Colombia on 27 June in Miami.

Martínez quashes exit talk

Responding to a report on Tuesday that he plans to leave his post after the tournament, Martínez called it a "non‑story". A Portuguese Football Federation spokesperson said both parties are "focused exclusively on the World Cup" and aligned on that point.