Portugal will begin life without their talismanic captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, when they face Denmark on Saturday in their first match since the forward announced his international retirement.

However, head coach Jorge Jesus will be confident that his side can maintain their impressive form despite the absence of the country’s greatest footballer.

Portugal have won their last four matches in this season’s Nations League, a run that suggests they have enough quality to move forward without the Al-Nassr forward.

Their impressive run includes a 4-2 victory over Denmark last month, alongside two wins against an improving Norway side.

The results have strengthened belief that Portugal have the players to remain competitive as they begin a new chapter without Ronaldo, who has been central to the country’s success for almost two decades.

Jesus will hope his players maintain their winning mentality when they face Denmark again, with the visitors also struggling to find consistency.

Denmark had appeared to be building a promising team after reaching the semi-finals of the European Championship in 2021.

However, their failure to overcome the Czech Republic in the World Cup play-offs was a major setback.

Although they have recorded two victories over Wales, their opening defeat to Norway exposed some weaknesses that Portugal could exploit.

The Danes could also struggle to contain Portugal’s attacking options, particularly after conceding four goals in their previous meeting.

With 11 of Denmark’s last 14 matches producing at least three goals, Saturday’s encounter could provide another entertaining contest.

Portugal will be favourites to secure another victory, with a 3-1 home win a likely outcome as they seek to make a winning start to the post-Ronaldo era