Manchester City’s Portuguese contingent is dealing with fitness concerns heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Matheus Nunes, who has publicly expressed hope that his club teammate Rúben Dias will be fit for Portugal’s opening match, knows firsthand how frustrating injury setbacks can be at the worst possible time.

Nunes himself has been navigating his own fitness issues. He missed Portugal’s 2-1 friendly victory over Chile on June 7, with coach Roberto Martinez confirming the day before that the versatile defender was not yet fit to train. Portugal’s tournament opener against DR Congo is scheduled for June 17 in Houston, leaving a narrow window for any player dealing with knocks to prove their fitness.

City’s Portuguese connection under the spotlight

Dias has been a fixture at center-back for both club and country. He started in multiple qualifying matches during Portugal’s campaign, which included some emphatic results. The most eye-catching was a 9-1 demolition of Armenia in November 2025.

Both players were instrumental in helping Portugal secure their spot at the tournament. Losing either one for the opening match would force Martinez to adjust a defensive setup that has been carefully constructed over the qualifying cycle.

Martinez’s balancing act

Roberto Martinez has been measured in his public comments about the fitness situation. His confirmation on June 6 that Nunes was unable to train suggested the injury was more than a minor tweak, though the timeline still allows for a potential return before the DR Congo match.

The Chile friendly served a dual purpose. It was both a warm-up for the squad and a diagnostic tool for Martinez to evaluate which players are match-ready. Portugal’s 2-1 win provided a positive result, but the absence of Nunes from the squad sheet was notable.

Nunes, who transitioned to a full-back role under Guardiola’s tactical system, earned his place in the World Cup squad partly because of that positional reinvention. The understanding between Nunes and Dias, developed through daily training sessions at Manchester City, is difficult to replicate with a substitute, no matter how talented the replacement might be.