Carlo Ancelotti has explained the reason James Rodriguez was taken off early in Everton's 3-1 loss to Manchester United on Saturday afternoon.
The Blues were beaten for the third time in a row thanks to a double from Bruno Fernandes and a late Edinson Cavani strike, after Bernard had initially given the hosts the lead in the first half.
Rodriguez had missed the previous weekend's clash with Newcastle due to what was described as a “small injury”.
However, the playmaker was one of six changes to the starting line-up for Saturday's game at Goodison after winning his race to be fit for the match.
The Colombia international played 80 minutes of the game before being replaced by Cenk Tosun after seeming to signal to the bench that he needed to be withdrawn.
But Ancelotti calmed any fears of a potential injury by confirming the 29-year-old was simply tired.
The manager said: “He was OK, he was tired.
“This week he did 80 minutes and he asked me to change it because he was tired but no physical problem.”
Rodriguez will now join up with the Colombia squad over the international break for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Ecuador.
Both he and fellow countryman Yerry Mina will fly to Madrid today before boarding a charter flight on Monday with Uruguay's European-based players.
