Portugal’s coach, Spaniard Roberto Martinez, has laid out a comprehensive plan for his players to be in top shape for the Euro 2024 in Germany. Rule number one: after their club commitments, all players will get a week off to completely unwind.

Because of this, Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) and Rúben Neves (Al Hilal) are currently absent from Portugal’s training camp, which started on June 2, as they played in the Saudi Cup final last Friday.

Cristiano might join the camp on June 8, the same day Portugal faces Croatia. The question is whether he’ll get any playtime that day in Lisbon against Modric’s Croatia.

If not, Ronaldo and Neves will have to wait until June 11 in Aveiro (Portugal) for the last friendly before the Euros, where they’ll play against Ireland.

Rule number two: an individual assessment of each player’s minutes played since March to ensure they’re in peak condition for their first Euro match against the Czech Republic on June 18.

Most Portuguese players are in top European leagues, with a high tally of minutes played due to national and UEFA competitions. In other words, Roberto Martinez wants to create a mini pre-season tailored to each player’s physical condition.

Among all called up, Cristiano Ronaldo, at 39 years old, is the second with the most minutes played this season, totaling 3,974 minutes.

Likely starters in defense, Rúben Dias (Manchester City) and Pepe (Porto), also have heavy minutes: Guardiola’s defender has 3,818 minutes this season, while the 41-year-old ex-Real Madrid player has 2,995 minutes.

Key midfielders also need to manage their muscles: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) has racked up 4,285 minutes, Vitinha (PSG) 3,560, and Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) 3,798. The same goes for Milan’s forward Rafael Leão, with a total of 3,548 minutes.

The freshest up front are João Félix, who has been a substitute at FC Barcelona, and Liverpool’s winger Diogo Jota, who had a tough season with injuries.

Mentally, the Portuguese coach, who in just a year speaks almost perfect Portuguese, has become a leader with the support of the federation and the "quinas" fans. In a leadership meeting with Luso-Spanish businesspeople this year, Martinez hinted at his style, focusing on reinforcing the players' commitment to the team.

This plan is another example of what Roberto Martinez aims for, hoping Portugal can replicate the success of France 2016 when they won the Euro.