Cristiano Ronaldo was included in Portugal's preliminary squad in preparation for next month's UEFA Nations League matches, a move that opens the door for his return to the national team following the dispute that arose between him and coach Jorge Jesus, a source in the Portuguese Football Federation told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday.
The 41-year-old star had left the Portuguese national team camp unexpectedly on September 30, after the opening round of the Nations League, before accusing Jesus of going back on his promise to give him the opportunity to participate in matches.
A spokesperson for the Portuguese Football Federation confirmed the accuracy of reports stating that Ronaldo is a candidate to return to the national team squad ahead of the matches against Denmark at home and Wales away, on November 14 and 17, respectively.
The spokesperson added that Jesus will announce the final squad for the national team on November 6.
The Portuguese Federation had announced last week a 30-day suspension for Ronaldo following his departure from the camp. The suspension was applied retroactively, meaning the player will be eligible to return by the end of this week.
Ronaldo had apologized to the fans earlier in October, confirming his readiness to accept any penalty imposed on him.
In a post on social media shortly after leaving his teammates, Ronaldo accused coach Jesus of promising to give him the chance to play against Norway before going back on his word, but he stressed that he does not intend to retire from international football.
He pointed out that another point of contention between him and the coach was that Jesus did not address, during a press conference preceding the Denmark match, a set of points that he said they had agreed upon in advance.
The Portuguese national team has won its four matches in the UEFA Nations League, three of which were in the absence of Ronaldo, to secure qualification for the quarter-finals two rounds before the end of the current stage.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, is the all-time leading scorer in men's international football and holds the record for the most international appearances.
Ronaldo, who played his first international match for Portugal in 2003 when he was 18 years old, had stated that the current year would "most likely" be his last on the pitch.
