Manchester City defender Ruben Dias is back in training with Portugal.
Roberto Martinez’s side stumbled to a disappointing draw with DR Congo in their World Cup opener without him. Now the latest reports suggest he is moving closer to a return.
Dias missed the opening group-stage match after failing to fully recover from the ankle issue. This injury had already placed his participation in doubt throughout Portugal’s preparations.
In the days before the tournament opener, Portuguese reports suggested there was little sense in taking risks with one of the squad’s most important players.
Situation now improving
According to Record, Dias has been reintegrated into the main group. Portugal are beginning preparations for Tuesday’s meeting with Uzbekistan.
The newspaper reports that Roberto Martinez was able to count on the defender during Thursday’s training session. This came after Dias sat out the match against DR Congo.
A Bola carry a similar update and report that Dias returned to pitch work with his teammates after missing the opening fixture.
The newspaper suggests he is already expected to be available for selection. So he could return directly to the starting line-up if there are no setbacks over the coming days.
Portugal hoping for defensive boost
They are hoping for a quick return as Portugal dropped points in their first outing.
Jornal de Notícias report that Dias took part in training with the players who were not involved against DR Congo. Also, he continues to strengthen his physical condition.
With several days between matches, there is optimism that the Manchester City defender will be ready for the second group-stage fixture.
The newspaper explains there is now genuine hope that Dias will resume his role at the heart of Portugal’s defence against Uzbekistan.
His return would likely force a reshuffle though. Tomás Araújo is viewed as the player most likely to lose his place. Renato Veiga is expected to remain on the left side of central defence.
However, his workload had been carefully managed after a period in which physical limitations contributed to four consecutive league matches on the bench.
Return becoming increasingly likely
The latest reports represent another positive step for both Portugal and Manchester City then.
Only a few days ago Portuguese newspapers were questioning whether Dias would be fit enough to face DR Congo and warning that a relapse remained a concern. Now the conversation has shifted towards when he will return rather than whether he will return.
Portugal still have work to do after an underwhelming start to their World Cup campaign, and the expectation in the local media is increasingly that Ruben Dias will be back to help them against Uzbekistan.
🇧🇷 Vitor Reis | Blood tests, sleep monitoring and gym work ➡️ Manchester City gem preparing for first-team https://t.co/YT64bvJWxK #mcfc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) June 16, 2026