Portugal are 'set to appeal Cristiano Ronaldo's red card during Republic of Ireland defeat in hope he is not BANNED for any World Cup matches'

Cristiano Ronaldo could be lining up in Portugal's opening game of the World Cup as the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) reportedly look to appeal his red-card ban.

Ronaldo was sent off during Portugal's 2-0 qualifier defeat at the Republic of Ireland on Thursday after lashing out and elbowing Dara O'Shea on the hour mark in Dublin.

The 40-year-old's length of ban is currently unclear but he was suspended for Sunday's 9-1 thumping win over Armenia which secured their qualification.

If he is given a multiple-game ban, which is the usual punishment for a straight red card, then he would miss Portugal's opening two matches at the World Cup next summer.

And in a bid to prevent that outcome from happening, the FPF are preparing to file a complaint to FIFA to ensure his ban covers solely the Armenia qualifier, according to A Bola.

The Portuguese outlet claim FPF president Pedro Proenca has been directly involved in the process to defend Ronaldo when they make their complaint and have three reasons for their case.

The first point they will argue is of the hostile environment within the Aviva Stadium and the actions of Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson contributing to that. The Icelandic manager had alleged that Ronaldo had dominated the referee in the previous meeting between the teams.

Secondly, they argue that Ronaldo was provoked by O'Shea's shirt-grabbing in the build-up to the incident.

And finally they are seeking goodwill on the count of Ronaldo's disciplinary record at international level - with this his first red card in 226 appearances for his country.