Portugal coach Martinez praised Lewandowski's form

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski is one of the ‘best penalty area players in modern football’, so one of Portugal coach Roberto Martinez's strategies for their Nations League match against Poland will be to ‘stop Lewandowski's talent’.

Speaking at the Portugal coach's pre-Nations League press conference in Lisbon, Martinez highlighted Lewandowski's ‘superlative form’, with 12 goals in 11 games for Barca.

The coach described the Polish side as ‘a team that takes risks, that attacks and defends with many players, which will be an important tactical challenge’ for Portugal.

Asked if Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting XI against Poland, the Spanish coach said that the Portugal captain ‘had a good training camp in September’ and that ‘now he is training well’.

Meanwhile, Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes said during the press conference that the Portuguese will have to ‘be patient with the ball’ and circulate it ‘with a certain intensity’ in their clash against the Poles.

Fernandes acknowledged that what he is experiencing in Manchester ‘is not a positive moment’, but that it does not affect the national team, where he has felt ‘very comfortable’.

"I think I've been showing a good level in the national team, it's a place where I feel good and I feel I can develop my football at a very high level, because of the dynamic we have and the quality I have at my side," he said.

Portugal, who top Group A1 after wins over Croatia and Scotland (both 2-1), face Poland in Warsaw on Saturday and Scotland in Glasgow on the 15th.