FIFA World Cup 2018: James Rodriguez sidelined with muscle fatigue, but to play in Colombia debut

Colombia’s national football team resumed its training session Thursday in the city of Kazan, east of Moscow, ahead of its first match in this year’ FIFA World Cup scheduled for Tuesday against Japan

Pic Courtesy: Twitter/@jamesdrodriguez

Kazan: Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez did not train with the rest of the national team on Thursday due to muscle fatigue, but is set to play in Colombia's forthcoming World Cup debut against Japan.

A source from the Colombian Soccer Federation (FCF) told EFE that the Bayern Munich star worked out in the gym of the "Los Cafeteros" squad base camp along with the other absentee from the practice, Boca Juniors midfielder Wilmar Barrios.

Neither Barrios nor Rodriguez has serious injuries and both are to train normally with the rest of their teammates at the team's next practice.

Colombia held its first practice session in Kazan on Wednesday morning, attended by press and fans.

The Colombian players were on the pitch of the Sviyaga stadium, about 35 kilometers (21 miles) from Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, after 10.30 and exercised for about an hour and 30 minutes.

Colombia is in Group H of the World Cup, along with Japan, Poland and Senegal, and kicks off its campaign in Russia at 15.00 local time in the Mordovia Arena, Saransk, on June 19.