In Cristiano Ronaldo's Absence, Who Can Step Up for Portugal vs. Norway?

You may have noticed, but Cristiano Ronaldo has other plans this weekend.

While Portugal’s talisman will be donning the white of Real Madrid and battling Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final at the San Siro in Milan on Saturday, his compatriots are going to be preparing to take on Norway in a pre-UEFA Euro 2016 friendly at FC Porto’s Estadio do Dragao on Sunday evening.

PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/Getty Images

When one player is as important to the cause as Ronaldo is to Portugal’s, such exercises end up having a feeling of futility around them. A Ronaldo-led Portugal is a different animal to a Portugal without him, but as the country has found out in previous tournaments, relying so much on one man is often not the way to go.

But backed up by a strong UEFA European Championship record this century—semi-finalists in 2000 and 2012 and finalists in 2004—manager Fernando Santos should be looking for just how his squad can function without the man who hogs the limelight when they face the Norwegians.

Because—and this would perhaps be frowned upon in Portugal—Santos could be considering playing one of his side’s group-stage matches without his captain, particularly because they look to have received the kindest draw they could have got.

Opening against Iceland in Saint-Etienne, the Seleccao then face impressive qualifiers Austria in Paris and Hungary in Lyon. As tasks go, it doesn’t look herculean.

FRANCISCO LEONG/Getty Images

And so what if, after positive results in the first two games in Group F, Santos had a mind to rest Ronaldo against Hungary ahead of the knockout matches to come? Even the Real Madrid superstar is human, and after a long, hard season, he might well need a break to be at his devastating best later in the tournament.

So step forward, the alternatives.

Cruelly deprived of the excellent AS Monaco 21-year-old Bernardo Silva through injury, Santos will instead hope other young stars can step up and almost come to create a team within a team, safe in the knowledge Ronaldo will take care of most other things when he’s in the side.

In Joao Mario, Rafa Silva and Renato Sanches, Santos has three bright prospects who, if anything, will embrace the added responsibility the lack of Ronaldo will bring.

Such is the fearlessness of youth, Sanches—the 18-year-old sensation who will play for Bayern Munich next season—will love the idea he is the man his country is relying on, perhaps preparing him for a life after Ronaldo, which is sure to take a lot of getting used to.

Joao Mario and Rafa Silva perhaps don’t quite have the same profile just yet, but the Norway game is just as important for both of them as they prepare for their first major tournament.

Armando Franca/Associated Press

The likes of Ricardo Quaresma and Nani—who could win his 100th cap in France—can help prepare them for that. But if anything, they should be encouraged to take things at their own pace.

One thing you could accuse Portugal of in recent years is having a lack of youth and quality in forward positions in tournament squads.

Silvestre Varela, Nelson Oliveira, Danny and Hugo Almeida—the list of attacking players who have undergone something of a trial-and-error test for Portugal in recent competitions goes on and on. That is why matches such as the Norway clash are so important.

Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

Sanches, Joao Mario and Rafa Silva need to feel at home in the side, both when Ronaldo plays and when he doesn’t, as that familiarity is sure to be vital when the matches become more important.

Portugal are likely to face a do-or-die moment at some point in France, and history has shown they can’t just sit back and pray Ronaldo comes up trumps for them.

A good win against Norway with decent displays from their raft of impressive young players would be most welcome, and it might even bring a cheer from a certain someone watching on from Madrid.