Uruguay vs Colombia is the first match in the important October international break for Colombia. In Montevideo the Cafeteros are looking to close in on the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Colombia has got a difficult schedule coming up with three important games in eight days. After Uruguay, Colombia will host Brazil and Ecuador in Barranquilla. Manager Reinaldo Rueda mostly stuck with the squad that got him five points in three games in September.
That means that James Rodríguez is again not included. The number ten, who joined Al Rayyan in Qatar in September, hasn’t been able to make his debut yet at his new club due to an injury. It’s a different story for Colombian talisman Radamel Falcao. The 35-year-old striker had a great start at his new club Rayo Vallecano with three goals in his first three games and joins the national team in good form.
Rueda may not want to make many changes to his starting eleven compared to the convincing 3-1 victory over Chile last month, but he has to make at least two obligatory ones. Miguel Borja, the striker who scored twice against Chile, dropped out last minute and didn’t travel to the national team. And Yairo Moreno will also not play, the left back who ran circles round the Chileans last month is not available due to a knee injury.
Yerry Mina and Davinson Sánchez are back in the team. Mina missed the last matches due to an injury and Sánchez was suspended against Chile. Whether they will immediately be back in the team is unclear, because Carlos Cuesta performed so well on his debut, that he is also an option to start this game. Where Mina has generally been ok, Sánchez’s recent performances for the national team left a lot of doubts.
Against Chile, Colombia showed that they are a strong contender for World Cup qualification. The same form will be needed in Montevideo, because Uruguay is a direct opponent for World Cup qualification.
Uruguay are generally known for their defensive strength, but they also have two strikers who are in good form in the form of Darwin Nuñez and Luis Suárez. Nuñez is very impressive for Benfica, and he almost personally tortured Barcelona in the Champions League last week. Suárez also scored against his old club at the weekend. Edinson Cavani is also available, meaning the Colombian defenders will have their hands full with the Uruguayan attacking strength.
The kick-off for Uruguay vs Colombia is tomorrow, October 7 at 6pm at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
