Falcao fails to make it into the Columbia World Cup squad
Colombian super star Radamel Falcao has lost his race to get fit in time for the World Cup.
The 28-year-old had to undergo a surgery when he injured his right knee in while playing for his club Monaco in a French Cup match in January, reported Reuters.
He is considered Colombia's talisman, scoring nine goals in 13 matches during Colombia's World Cup qualifying matches.
Sitting next to coach Jose Pekerman at Colombia's training base outside of Buenos Aires Argentina, he said: "Today, I’m in very good shape but conscious that I still need a bit (more time) to play again and I didn’t want to deny a place to a team mate who was 100 per cent fit, nor do something imprudent to damage my health.”
So the man whose nickname is "The Tiger" and who is capable of scoring goals like this:
this,
and crackers such as this,
will have to stay at home as Colombia play in their first World Cup finals in 16 years.
Colombia will face their Group C mates Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan later this month.
Full Colombia squad:
Goalkeepers: David Ospina (Nice), Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe)
Defenders: Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Cristian Zapata (AC Milan), Pablo Armero (West Ham United), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli), Santiago Arias (PSV Eindhoven), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo)
Midfielders: Fredy Guarin (Inter Milan), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Quintero (Porto), Carlos Sanchez (Elche), Aldo Leao Ramirez (Morelia), Alexander Mejia (Atletico Nacional)
Forwards: Jackson Martinez (Porto), Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Teofilo Gutierrez (River Plate), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin)
Source: Reuters
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