Nuno Mendes has made Portugal's position clear on a Cristiano Ronaldo return, insisting the door remains open to the captain and every absent player after the 2-1 win over Norway in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League.
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A second win over Norway kept Portugal rolling in the tournament and tightened their grip on the group. The questions, though, keep coming about Ronaldo, absent since his recent fallout with head coach Jorge Jesus and his exit from the national team camp.
Nuno Mendes told reporters after the match: "It is natural that we welcome any player. We are happy with the results we have achieved, and if Cristiano returns, we will receive him with open arms and we will be very happy to have him with us."
The Paris Saint-Germain full-back added: "Whether it is Cristiano or any other player currently absent, everyone is always welcome to rejoin the team." The message could not have been plainer. Nobody in the squad sees Ronaldo's absence as a crisis.
Unity was the word Mendes kept returning to. "We are a united group, and we will be happy for any player to return to the national team ranks," he said, shutting down talk of a split in the Portugal dressing room over the captain's absence.
His words land with Portugal still producing the goods in the Nations League. Yet Ronaldo's future with the national team remains the story everyone is watching, especially after the row with Jesus, with no clear date for the captain's return.