Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo believes his side’s Group A closer against Switzerland will give fringe players the perfect opportunity to stake their claim for the first-team



Portugal have already secured their passage to the EURO 2008 quarterfinals after collecting a maximum six points from their clashes against Turkey and the Czech Republic.

Their co-hosts have already been eliminated, and Luiz Felipe Scolari is expected to make a number of changes to his starting line-up for Tuesday’s outing in Basel.

But Ronaldo was quick to insist that the encounter is far from meaningless, as it will give squad players the chance to prove their worth and possibly earn a starting role during the knockout stages.

"Players who have not played yet will get a chance," said the Manchester United superstar.

"They'll want to show the coach they want to be in the team in future."

Surprises

Ronaldo is one of the big names expected to be rested by Scolari, along with Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, while the likes of Ricardo Quaresma and Miguel Veloso are expected to start.

But the 23-year-old is adamant that his team-mates must not become complacent, insisting every bit of preparation will prove vital going into the latter stages of the tournament.

"We have to expect that, as the tournament goes on, it's going to be more difficult with each game," said Ronaldo.

"There have already been surprises. A lot of people thought Germany would win their group but they lost to Croatia."