James Rodriguez was rushed to hospital following Colombia's 3-1 defeat to France, but his club Minnesota United have issued a statement denying rumours of a potentially fatal condition
James Rodriguez.
James Rodriguez was hospitalised during the World Cup warm-up matches.(Image: Getty Images)
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Minnesota United have dismissed speculation that James Rodriguez has a potentially fatal muscle-wasting condition following hospitalisation during the recent international break.
The former Everton and Real Madrid star required urgent hospital treatment after Colombia's World Cup warm-up in the United States. The 34-year-old spent three days in hospital, and a statement from the Colombian football federation confirmed that he displayed symptoms of severe dehydration during their 3-1 loss to France.
It was James' second match during the break, after featuring against Croatia, but he was withdrawn shortly past the hour mark in temperatures reaching 26 degrees. Social media speculation intensified and claims emerged that he was suffering from rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition which causes muscle breakdown and can potentially result in fatal kidney damage.
However, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club refuted the speculation. In a statement, they said: "The club and our medical professionals can unequivocally state there has been no clinical or laboratory evidence of rhabdomyolysis.
"We respectfully ask members of the media and the public to refrain from further speculation regarding James' health. Any additional updates will be communicated directly by the club through official channels.
"His reintegration into full team training will follow the protocols established by the club's medical department and will be guided entirely by his clinical progress."
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The Colombian international has made just a handful of appearances in the domestic American season and missed their 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy on Sunday.
The Colombian federation released a statement following the break, confirming: "It has been confirmed, after establishing communication with a medical center in the State of Minnesota, that the midfielder has been under professional observation due to a non-sports-related medical condition.
"The day after the match against France, the player presented with severe dehydration that required hospitalization for the past 72 hours for preventative and recovery monitoring."
Rodriguez burst onto the world stage during an unforgettable World Cup campaign for Colombia in Brazil in 2014. His stunning volley against Uruguay earned him widespread international acclaim, attracting interest from Europe's biggest clubs - he subsequently joined Real Madrid - and even securing him the Puskas Award.
However, the alarming episode in the US raises serious concerns ahead of this summer's tournament, which is set to be staged across North America during the most sweltering periods of the year.
Minnesota manager Cameron Knowles said: "He's day-to-day under our medical team, he's home now and resting. We've been away for a couple of days, our medical team are in constant contact with him, evaluating him, we'll start to integrate him as he sees fit."
James will be keen to get back into action swiftly, with Minnesota embroiled in a battle for a place in the MLS Western Division Championship playoffs.
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