Roberto Martinez suggests Portugal star can replace Cristiano Ronaldo as he delivers completely same verdict after win over Denmark

Roberto Martinez has backed Gonaclo Ramos to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the Portugal starting XI. He believes that the PSG star can match the standards set by the Al Nassr superstar and deliver on the pitch.

Speaking to the media after the dramatic win over Denmark, Martinez claimed that he did not see any difference after Ronaldo asked to be taken off. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star had picked up a knock and was taken off in the final minutes of normal time.

Speaking about the impact of Ramos, Martinez said via OJogo:

"I saw the team as completely the same. Cristiano played a good game, Gonçalo played a good game. They are players with different characteristics and I didn't see much difference."

The manager also hit out at the criticism faced by Ronaldo ahead of the game and said in his pre-match press conference via GOAL:

"Our teams are very flexible tactically, we have played with two strikers. We need to use our players depending on our opponent. But it is not a question of trying to talk about Cristiano in every game. If Cristiano Ronaldo scores, he is the most important player in the team. When he does not score, it is because of his age. It is not a fair assessment."

Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early penalty but scored in the second half to help Portugal get back in the tie. The 2016 EURO winners went on to seal a 5-3 win in extra time, with Ramos scoring the final goal of the game in the 115th minute.

Roberto Martinez has always backed Cristiano Ronaldo

Roberto Martinez has always insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo is not slowing down and can continue playing for a long time. He spoke about the Al Nassr superstar earlier this year and claimed that age had not caught up to the Portugal legend and said:

"I think the age of a player doesn't come to play. Ronaldo doesn't work as a 39-year-old player. He doesn't play certainly as a 39-year-old player. I think we are assessing every player and how they feel. Cristiano has been working really well in this camp."

Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Saudi Arabia this week, where Al Nassr prepares to take on Al Hilal next week. They have no matches coming up this weekend and it would be a massive relief for the Portugal legend as he picked up a knock on Sunday night.