Colombia winger Juan Guillermo Cuadrado won’t be a part of Nestor Lorenzo’s team for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which is obviously a big surprise to most fans, even Colombian ones.
Unfortunately, the team legend suffered a dislocated shoulder while playing for Italian side Internazionale in their crucial clash vs. Fiorentina, according to an announcement made by the Nerazzuri.
The Colombian veteran left the game early in the second half against Cagliari, following a clash with Nadja Nainggolan. Then, further examination determined that he had endured a second-degree dislocation in his shoulder, thus ruling him out for at least three weeks.
That’s why it wasn’t a surprise to see that the former Juventus star is set to miss the must-win matches vs. Brazil and Paraguay, which is obviously a huge blow to their aspirations.
Following his stint as a perennial starter under Jose Nestor Pekerman, Cuadrado had gotten a lesser role over the past couple of years, mostly because of his age. Even so, he was usually the first substitute off the bench when that was the case.
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The Colombian National Team will face its toughest task yet. They’re set to host Brazil, a team that’s looking to make a statement after failing to be as dominant as usual in this edition of the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
To date, Lozano’s team sits at the fifth spot in the table, trailing neighbor nation Venezuela by one point. They beat Venezuela 1-0 in the first match of the tournament, followed by a 0-0 draw with Chile, a 2-2 draw with Uruguay, and a 0-0 draw with Ecuador.
Brazil, on the other hand, is currently sitting at the third spot in the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They thrashed Bolivia 5-1 in their first matchup, followed by a narrow 1-0 win over Peru. Then, they couldn’t get past a 1-1 draw with Venezuela, and then lost 2-0 to Uruguay.
Needless to say, the Brazilians will look to make a statement and bounce back in a big way, even though they won’t have superstar striker Neymar on the pitch, as he suffered yet another major injury.
Then, the Colombians will hit the road to face an up-and-coming, promising, yet inexperienced Paraguayan side. The Albirrojos currently sit in the seventh spot of the table with four points after winning one game with one draw and two losses.
Led by Newcastle star Miguel Almirón, the Paraguayans weren’t able to get past a 0-0 draw to Peru, followed by a heartbreaking 0-1 loss to Venezuela. Then, they held on against Argentina but still lost 0-1. They bounced back in a big way to beat Bolivia 1-0, and they’ll face Chile on the road before their matchup vs. Colombia.
The CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup qualifiers are perhaps the toughest on Earth, and these two matches will be the last all teams play in 2023, so they need to make sure to finish the first leg on a high note. Of course, not having a veteran leader like Cuadrado will make it tough, but the Cafeteros have more than enough talent in their ranks to keep the ship afloat.