James Rodriguez has been left out of Colombia's starting line-up for their World Cup opener against Japan after failing to recover from a reported calf strain.
The Bayern Munich loanee has been receiving treatment in the last week in a race to be fit for the game in Saransk but was named as a substitute by Jose Pekerman.
The absence of the 26-year-old, who won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup after scoring six times, is a blow to Colombia's hopes of a positive start in Group H, having qualified for consecutive tournaments for the first time in 20 years.
Camiseta . Guayos . La mirada de un campeón. Comienza la fiesta. ¡Vamos Colombia! June 19, 2018
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