Colombia manager Reinaldo Rueda has sent a warning to James Rodriguez over the fitness he needs to show to regain his place in the national side.
The Everton man has missed all of his club's matches throughout the start of 2021/22 after being forced to self-isolate due to coming into contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19.
The playmaker is now back in training at Finch Farm over the course of the international break and, having not secured a move away from Merseyside in the summer, will be looking to play his way into Rafa Benitez's plans.
And the Colombia boss has laid out the condition the 30-year-old needs to be in to regain his international spot.
Rodriguez missed the Copa America in the summer due to fitness issues despite some disagreement over how serious the Blues star's injury really was.
And now his international boss has claimed that the Everton playmaker needs to be a "500%" to be considered once more.
The manager is quoted as saying by Marca [via SportWitness ]: “I think the player’s anxiety and desire to be here in the national team makes you unconsciously precipitate these appearances.
“It is not only the healing of an injury but also the re-adaptation of the competition.
“I think it’s very clear, we can’t hurt James, nor the national team, when we have seen him at his best, we want him, when he is 500% because 100% is not enough for the national team.
“We always tell the players that they must be at 500%, and we refer to that plus that is to be in the Colombia national team.
“We want the players to take care of themselves in all possible variables. That 500% involves a number of factors and variables.
“The issue of players who have other components helps. All the moments and positions are different.”
Colombia drew 1-1 with Bolivia in their first match of the current international break, with games against Paraguay and Chile to come in the next week.
