Raphael Guerreiro confirmed he has a fracture in his leg, and will miss the remainder of Portugal’s Confederations Cup campaign.
The versatile Borussia Dortmund left-back assisted Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal in Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Russia, but was taken off on a stretcher in the second half.
Coach Fernando Santos said after the match he feared the 23-year-old had sustained a fracture, and his concerns have now been confirmed.
However, Guerreiro said the issue was pre-existing and he is not feeling any pain in the area that resulted in his withdrawal in Moscow.
“I have a fracture, but it is more than three months old,” he wrote in a now-deleted post on Instagram.
“Fortunately, I do not have any more fractures where I feel pain, but I can’t put my foot on the ground or move it.
“I will remain here to support my teammates for the rest of the competition,” he concluded.
Mexico face host nation Russia in their next encounter on Saturday and victory can seal their passage to the next phase of the competition.