Rayo Vallecano ask Colombian FA to protect James Rodriguez | OneFootball

Rayo Vallecano will be keeping a close eye on James Rodriguez during this first international break of the 2024-25 season. The 33-year-old playmaker signed a one-year deal with the Madrid-based side last month, but he was unable to make his debut against either Barcelona or Espanyol.

Club officials are concerned that James has been called up by Colombia for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers as he has not played any football since the Copa America, which ended in mid-July. On the back of this, Rayo have asked the Colombian Football Association not to use their player too much during the matches against Peru and Argentina, as reported by MD.

Right now, the idea is for James to make his domestic debut after the international break, during Rayo’s hosting of Osasuna on MD5. However, for this to be the case, there would need to be no setbacks with Colombia – club bosses will be desperate for things to run swimmingly.