Bogota, Sep 18 (IANS) Birmingham City midfielder Jhon Solis and Zenit St. Petersburg defender Kevin Andrade were among 11 uncapped players named in Colombia’s squad on Thursday for friendlies against Mexico, Paraguay and Peru in the United States.
Other newcomers included goalkeeper Aldair Quintana, defender Roger Caicedo, midfielder Daniel Arcila and forward Camilo Duran.
Manager Nestor Lorenzo called up two players from local club Atletico Nacional: left-back Samuel Velasquez and midfielder Juan Manuel Rengifo.
“Nobody is always in, nor permanently out,” Lorenzo told a news conference in Bogota. “Whether they are young or old, everyone who has been part of this process knows they have to compete, and that anyone can come in or drop out of the squad.”
Absent from the 26-man squad were Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz and former captain James Rodriguez, who announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday, reports Xinhua.
“In the case of Luis Diaz, we mutually agreed that he should rest during this window,” Lorenzo said. “It also allows us to test young talent and give them valuable experience.”
The Cafeteros will play Mexico in Baltimore on September 26, Paraguay in New Jersey on October 2 and Peru in Miami on October 6.
The matches will mark the team’s first outings since a penalty shootout loss to Switzerland in the World Cup round of 16 in July.
Lorenzo paid tribute to Rodriguez, who is Colombia’s most capped player with 131 international appearances and its second-highest scorer with 31 goals.
“I didn’t intervene in his decision [to retire],” Lorenzo said. “I listened to him and respected his timeline. I had known since the match against Switzerland, and I respected his decision regarding how and when to announce it.”
“James has given an enormous amount to the national team. He was a cornerstone of our project. We must thank him for everything he did and hope that the shirt continues to shine.”
FIFA’s extended international window, which combines the previously separate September and October dates, allows teams to play up to four fixtures over a 16-day period.
Lorenzo has said that he will use the friendlies to test new players ahead of South America’s 2030 World Cup qualifiers.
–IANS
bc/