Cape Town - Portugal midfielder Deco on Sunday was ruled out of his team's Group G match against North Korea on Monday because of a recurring left hip injury.??

Coach Carlos Queiroz said he still hopes Deco can recover for the team's final group match against Brazil.

Deco was Portugal's only player to skip training on Sunday.

"At the training session yesterday, he complained about left hip pains," Queiroz told a news conference at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium.

"He's had this before," Queiroz said through a translator. "There was no improvement today, so our medical team recommended that he shouldn't play. But we do believe that he will play against Brazil."

Queiroz declined to say who would take the 32-year-old playmaker's place in the starting lineup. Portugal is already without Manchester United winger Nani, who was ruled out of the World Cup before the tournament started.

Deco was critical of Queiroz's tactics and substitutions after Portugal's 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast last week, calling them "strange" and "not as good as they might have been."

He later apologised.

An official with the team rejected suggestions that Deco's absence was related to his criticism of Queiroz's coaching.

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