James Rodriguez Out of Southampton Clash Due to Injury

James Rodriguez during his loan with Bayern in 2019
James Rodriguez during his loan with Bayern in 2019. Photo by Pixathlon/Shutterstock

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that new star signing James Rodriguez will not play in the club’s clash with Southampton on Sunday due to an injury he picked up against Liverpool.

“Unfortunately, James had a problem during the game [against Liverpool],” Ancelotti explained to evertontv. “He had a mistimed tackle with Virgil van Dijk at the beginning of the game and I think he will not be available for the game against Southampton.”

In what was an eventful Merseyside derby, van Dijk’s challenge on Rodriguez was one of the standout moments of the game. Coincidentally, just minutes after making the challenge on Rodriguez, the Dutch center half was forced off the field himself due to incurring a knee injury when colliding with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Unfortunately for the Toffees, Rodriguez is not the only key player that has been ruled out of action. Club captain Seamus Coleman is also unavailable for the clash with Southampton because of a hamstring injury. He is expected back in training in November.

Despite these setbacks, Carlo Ancelotti remains hopeful ahead of Sunday’s fixture. “We have to put in other players who have the desire to play,” the Italian manager declared.