The concern for the sporting present of James Rodriguez facing the final stretch of the South American qualifiers. The Colombian midfielder missed Al-Rayyan’s duel this Friday and doubts are growing about an injury.
To the alleged physical problems is added another detail that leaves a dark picture regarding his future in the Qatari league…
The 3-2 victory against Al-Shamal marked the end of the league season for Al-Rayyan. The team led by Laurent Blanc for a large part of the competition and later replaced by Nicolás Córdova was saved from relegation, remaining in eighth place with 24 units in 22 games played.
On the other hand, James and company were eliminated last weekend from the Emir Cup in the quarterfinals. That March 5 they fell in the penalty shootout against Al-Wakrah.
That’s the way it is, Rodríguez Rubio would reach the National Team if he was called up, with almost a month of inactivity. Precisely his last duel was in the aforementioned cup. It is worth remembering that Colombia will play on March 24 and 29 in Qualifiers.
Now, what is left for the Cucuteño to play?
The only thing left for Al-Rayyan this season is the AFC Champions League, the international tournament that takes place in Asian territory. It integrates Group A along with Istiklol Dushanbe from Tajikistan, Saudi Al-Hilal (where Gustavo Cuéllar plays) and the winner of the bracket between Sarja and Al-Zawraa.
Although logic indicates that they will advance to the next round, the level shown throughout the Qatari league is not encouraging.
In the event that Al-Rayyan is eliminated in the group stage, James will have an extended period of inactivity. The last duel of this phase will take place on April 27 and the following season in Qatar will begin in mid-September. Almost five months of stillness…
We would even have to wait for the decision that they make in that country regarding the local rent, taking into account that the World Cup will be played between November and December.
The only solution, and what has been discussed in recent months, is to play in the Asian Champions League and at the end, look for a team in Europe to do preseason and start a new path 100% from the physical.
