It remains to be seen whether Türkiye's rising star Arda Güler returns to starting 11 for the final Euro 2024 group match against the Czech Republic after he was only a late substitute against Portugal.
Real Madrid's Güler, 19, scored the crucial 2-1 lead in the opening 3-1 over Georgia with a stunning goal which made him the youngest scorer in a Euros debut match and earned him the Man of the Match distinction.
But he only came on for the last 20 minutes on Saturday when Portugal had already completed their scoring in a 3-0 victory after many fans in the Dortmund stadium had chanted his name.
Coach Vincenzo Montella had already suggested on the eve of the match that Güler may not start because of fatigue.
He said post-match that "Arda wasn't fit to play more than 30 minutes without increasing the risk of picking up an injury.
"In the end, I gave in and let him on. When you play once every four days it's a different sport, so you need a turnover of players," he said.
Montella said he was not surprised he had to defend his decision not to have Güler in the starting 11, saying that "the coach is always the first enemy when you lose."
"Those who don't play are, of course, often the more important players for the media," he said.
Montella and his staff will monitor Güler's fitness ahead of the final game Wednesday against the Czechs where Türkiye need a draw to reach the last 16, and insisted that their relationship was intact.
"We have a great relationship. He is a smart guy," Montella said.
"He is very passionate about his country, he is very proud of his country. Even though he knew he was risking injury, he wanted to play."
