Portugal and Real Madrid have been handed a blow after Fabio Coentrao injured his groin in Friday’s World Cup qualification loss to Russia.
The defender featured from the start in the Seleccao’s defeat, but was forced to leave the pitch after only 20 minutes as a result of his problem.
It is not yet known exactly how long Coentrao will be out of action, with the wing-back set to undergo further examination.
Nevertheless, it seems unlikely the 24-year-old will recover in time for Tuesday’s qualification game at home to Northern Ireland.
Coentrao’s injury is yet another blow for the former Benfica star after he was banned for four La Liga games back in August, following a verbal outburst at a referee.
