James named in provisional Colombia squad for World Cup qualifiers

BOGOTA -- Playmaker James Rodriguez was included in Colombia's provisional squad on Monday for their opening 2022 World Cup qualifiers, despite a lack of regular football with Real Madrid.

The 28-year-old has fallen out of favor with Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane since returning to Spain's capital in August after a two-year loan spell at Bayern Munich.

He has made just 10 appearances across all competitions this season and has not played a single minute since March 6.

Colombia's Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz also included Galatasaray striker Radamel Falcao, Atalanta forward Duvan Zapata, Tottenham Hotspur center-back Davinson Sanchez and Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado.

New faces include Daniel Munoz (Atletico Nacional), Steven Alzata (Brighton), Eder Alvarez (Club Brugge), Ivan Arboleda (Banfield), Alvaro Montero (Deportes Tolima) and Victor Cantillo (Corinthians).

Colombia begin their quest to qualify for football's biggest tournament by hosting Venezuela in Barranquilla on March 27. They will meet Chile in Santiago four days later. Queiroz will trim his squad from 39 to 23 players before the clash with Venezuela.