The years do not come alone. Turning the FIFA date page with James Rodríguez at the age of 33 is not the same as it is with the 27-year-old Luis Díaz or the 20-year-old Durán. he weak jet each case has a very different bill.
The good news is that 10 Rayo Vallecano are back in Madrid healthy. That’s great news, given the previous track record.
He is entering his eighth week at the club, at which point the physical rehab is expected to bear fruit. According to the manager of the LaLiga team, that is why he was an alternative and not an undisputed starter for the team.
His team managed to be in eighth place in the competition with 13 points, 11 behind the leader Barcelona. This Sunday’s opponent is Mallorca, which awaits them in seventh place (14 points) and with an additional challenge for the teams: they have never managed to beat them in the first division.
Play immediately or rest?
The point is that it is worth asking at this point, given the measurements of the coach Íñigo Pérez alone: is it time to rest him after the challenging double round of the Qualifiers or should we use him now to take advantage of peak performance that showed ?
The doubt is not so easy to resolve: James comes from playing almost 100 minutes at an altitude of 4,150m against Bolivia (1-0 loss) and 85 minutes in the heat on Barranquilla against Chile (4-0 victory). In both duels he was one of the most impressive teams for the National Team of Colombia, with assists, excellent athleticism and even a scoring sacrifice.
In his last match with Rayo he played 13 minutes in the 1-2 away win against Valladolid. On that occasion he shot on target once, made 9 out of 10 passes and took part in the fun for the final goal. His sense of smell allows him to be free where the ball is going and distribute the game without having to guess.
It seems like a short period but in this regard, the coach Íñigo Pérez preferred to be careful, accepting without exaggerated demands so that he would not have to regret injuries. And he was right because he was always available. Now, in contrast to everything before, it comes physically demanding: “I’m tired, wait when I got to Rayo to see what,” said the left hander himself in Barranquilla.
After Mallorca, Alavés, Villamuriel (for the Cup) and Villarreal will come as visitors. Would it be better to save money for the latter who are fourth in LaLiga and allow him a break? Is it time to leverage against weaker competitors to make a difference? It is not a simple bet.
Up front will be Johan Mojica’s team, who only played against Chile in Barranquilla and get more rest. The winger played 7 of 9 games under coach Jagoba Arrasate. And yes, he is 31 and he will recover a little less. We will have to wait for the call and then the whistle to find out what is decided in James’s case.