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BBC Sport Online looks at five Portuguese players to watch in the international friendly against England at Villa Park on Saturday.

Portugal squad named

Luis Figo

Formerly the world's most expensive footballer, Luis Figo's reputation suffered during the 2002 World Cup as he struggled to shake off an ankle injury.

Since then Figo has looked back to his best on the right of the Real Madrid midfield.

His renowned close-ball control was very much to the fore in the European Super Cup victory over Feyenoord at the end of August.

Real win Super Cup

Figo moved to Real for �40m from Barcelona after Euro 2000, a deal which saw him vilified by the Catalan club's fans.

But in his first season he helped Real win the Primera Liga title and last year was part of Vicente Del Bosque's side that won the European Cup in the club's centenary season.

Figo was named European Footballer of the Year for 2000, and last year he received the ultimate accolade as he picked up the Fifa's World Player of the Year award.

Figo is a creator as well as a scorer of goals and like David Beckham is particularly dangerous with free-kicks.

Pauleta

Pauleta was the only player to appear in all 10 of Portugal's World Cup qualifying games and, with eight goals, was his side's leading goal-scorer.

He was also one of the few successes in Korea - his hat-trick against Poland was the high spot of a disappointing campaign - as Antonio Oliveira's side failed to qualify for the last 16.

The 28-year-old, whose full name is Pedro Miguel Carreira Resendes, has never played for any of Portugal's top three clubs.

Portugal's Pauleta
Pauleta was joint top-scorer in France last season

He made his name in Spain's La Liga with Deportivo la Coruna, but following Euro 2000, and his inability to ensure a place in the starting line-up, he moved to French side Bordeaux.

There he has been one of the finds of European football, cementing a place in both the Bordeaux and Portuguese starting line-ups.

Last season he finished joint top-scorer in Le Championnat along with Auxerre's Djibril Cisse, and his brace of goals in the League Cup final helped earn his club a Uefa Cup spot.

Those goal-scoring feats saw him voted the country's player of the year by his fellow professionals.

Hugo Viana

Hugo Viana has been given a gentle introduction to English football by Newcastle manager Bobby Robson since his �8.5m summer move from Sporting Lisbon.

But his superbly struck goal against Zeljeznicar Sarajevo in a Champions League qualifier gave Newcastle fans a glimpse of what to expect from one of European football's most promising youngsters.

Portugal's Hugo Viana
Viana cost Newcastle �8.5m this summer

Viana was the man who inspired the Portuguese Under-21 side to a 3-1 victory over David Platt's side as England's youngsters crashed out of the European Championships in Switzerland in May.

Portugal demolish England

His impressive performances during that tournament saw Viana drafted into Portugal's World Cup squad as a late replacement for Daniel Kenedy after he failed a drugs test.

Still only 19, Viana's development over the next couple of years is likely to be key to Portugal's hopes of capturing the Euro 2004 crown on home territory.

Rui Costa

Along with Figo, Rui Costa is one of Portugal's key creative forces.

The midfielder joined AC Milan during the 2001-2002 season for �28m - one of the world's top ten transfers - having been at Serie A rivals Fiorentina since 1994.

But a series of injuries saw him feature irregularly for the Italian side last season.

Portugal's Rui Costa
Costa still pulls the strings in Portugal's midfield

Despite those problems Costa is a superb passer with great vision.

He was a member of the 1991 side that won the Under-20 World Cup, and gained full international honours against Switzerland in 1993.

Simao Sabrosa

Benfica winger Simao Sabrosa has been recalled for the friendly against England after he missed the World Cup through injury.

Sabrosa, 22 and with 13 caps, returned to action recently after a four-month absence.

The winger moved to Benfica after a frustrating spell at Barcelona, where he was often kept out of the side by Figo before his switch to the Madrid.

Sabrosa is an out-and-out winger, who likes to use his pace to get to the bye-line and cross the ball.

Bobby Robson is a huge admirer of the winger and during the summer there were suggestions that the Newcastle manager wanted to bring him to St James' Park.


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