Portugal play down Ronaldo soap opera and focus on Ghana

Fernando Santos puffed out his cheeks, ran his palm down his face and said a thousand words in one slightly exaggerated expression.

- Nick Ames

To his left, Bruno Fernandes was fielding another question about the storm surrounding a clubless Cristiano Ronaldo, this time wondering whether Manchester United could possibly feel the same when domestic football resumes. Fernandes dealt with it as he had the previous few: his teammate's departure was a personal issue, one to be respected and after all nothing lasts for ever.

The final word on the matter? It almost certainly was not as Santos, who was far more interested in amplifying the threat of today's opponents, Ghana, when his turn to answer came around, knew perfectly well. But the veteran coach appreciates the importance of a strong run, as a minimum, this winter and was at pains to minimise the effect of his preening superstar's enduring soap opera.

"It hasn't even been discussed," he said. "The conversation hasn't come up, not only from him. If the players are talking about that in their rooms alone, I can't say. They can do what they want but the important thing is they are focused and realistic about the challenges they are facing."