Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, has been left out of the Portugal national team for their upcoming match against Norway in Oslo. This decision comes after he dealt with an injury during the recent match against Wales, where he was substituted late in the game.

Portugal's head coach, Jorge Jesus, revealed that Fernandes has been managing a 'complicated' injury that he has been playing through for some time. His absence from training on Saturday confirmed concerns about his fitness, leading to his exclusion from the official UEFA matchday squad.

UEFA regulations allow a maximum of 23 players to be named in a matchday squad, and with Fernandes unavailable, Goncalo Inacio has been called up to replace him. Jesus had previously indicated that Fernandes might not be fit for the match against Norway, emphasizing the need to ensure he is fully recovered for the next game against Denmark on Thursday.

In his comments, Jesus stated, "In the game against Wales, we went in with all the available players, but Bruno Fernandes came off with a complicated problem. We’ll see what happens until tomorrow. Experience tells me that on the third day not all players manage to recover, but that’s the same for Norway as for us." He further noted that the medical team had identified Fernandes as one of the players most in need of careful management.

Fernandes has struggled to find his form recently, having gone three Premier League matches without a goal or assist after a strong performance where he scored a hat-trick against Ipswich. Manchester United's manager, Michael Carrick, has indicated plans to rotate Fernandes throughout the season to preserve his fitness, especially with the added demands of Champions League fixtures.

As Portugal prepares to face Norway, the absence of their captain will be a significant factor, and fans will be watching closely to see how the team adapts in his absence.