James Rodriguez injured, ruled out of Colombia versus Peru match in Miami on Friday
Colombian superstar James Rodriguez twisted his left knee at a training session and was ruled out of Friday night’s exhibition match against Peru at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
“James,” as Rodriguez is known, complained of discomfort after tweaking the knee toward the end of practice.
“The player was evaluated by the medical body and his first diagnosis is reserved,” according to a team statement. “For now, and as a precaution, James Rodriguez is ruled out for the match against Peru. In the next few hours, a detailed imaging study will be carried out to confirm the definitive diagnosis.”
Colombia coach Carlos Queiroz said earlier this week that James would start the game. Colombia
The 28-year-old midfielder arrived at Real Madrid with much hype after starring at the 2014 World Cup, but he has had trouble breaking into the starting lineup of late.
Four months into the season, he has played just 422 minutes in nine games. Injuries and coaching decisions by Zinedine Zidane have kept him on the bench longer than he would like. He has started just five games this season, and played the full game only twice, against Mallorca and Levante.
Word is he might be shopped around during the winter transfer window, with Premier League clubs Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea said to be interested.
Other top Colombian players expected for the Peru game are Juan Cuadrado of Juventus, goalkeeper David Ospina of Napoli and Juan Quintero of Argentine club River Plate. Quintero, a 26-year-old left-footed playmaker, has been rumored to be headed to Europe or Major League Soccer, with Inter Miami as a possible destination.
Among the players to watch on Peru’s roster is forward Raul Ruidiaz, the Seattle Sounders standout who scored a goal in a 3-1 MLS Cup win over Toronto FC on Sunday. He is a big reason the Sounders reached the final. Ruidiaz had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 playoff win over Dallas, had another assist in the 2-0 conference semifinal win against Real Salt Lake, and had two goals and an assist in a 3-1 upset of LAFC to earn a spot in the Cup final.
Before he got to Seattle in 2018, Ruidiaz led the Mexican League in goals in the 2016 Apertura and 2017 Clausura seasons and was named the league’s player of the year in 2016-17.
“He is a very important forward for us,” Peru coach Ricardo Gareca said of Ruidiaz. “He has always been in consideration for today and the future.”
Peru is also bringing Paolo Guerrero of Brazilian club Internacional, Edison Flores of Mexican team Morelia, Yoshimar Yotun of Mexican team Cruz Azul and Pedro Gallese of Alianza Lima.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 2:05 PM.