GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. (AP) — Columbia Star James RodriguezHe was hospitalized last week due to severe dehydration, but returned to his MLS club Minnesota United on Monday to continue preparations to be ready for the match.
The team announced that Rodriguez reported to its practice facility for a supervised return-to-activity session. His return to full team training will be fully guided by the club’s medical staff.
Rodriguez played for Colombia in an exhibition match against France on March 29, when he began to feel dehydrated. He was admitted to the hospital two days later for continued monitoring and IV fluid therapy. The team said Rodriguez was released from the hospital after a three-day hospitalization and has since been recuperating at home with continued medical supervision.
Minnesota United said medical staff “can unequivocally say there is no clinical or laboratory evidence of rhabdomyolysis,” referring to a rare but life-threatening condition in which muscles can collapse due to overexertion or other causes.
The Colombian Football Federation issued a statement last week declaring Rodriguez’s prognosis for recovery and improvement is good. Colombia’s first World Cup match will be against Uzbekistan on June 17th.
Rodriguez became a global star at the 2014 World Cup, scoring six goals in five games and winning the Golden Boot award as the tournament’s top scorer. He then joined Spain’s Real Madrid, where he spent six seasons with La Liga’s powerhouse team, as well as spells at Bayern Munich in Germany’s Bundesliga and Everton in the English Premier League.
Since signing with Minnesota United two months ago, Rodriguez has appeared in just two of six games with the club.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
