Minnesota United, dealing with questions about James Rodriguez’s condition, will aim for another road win Saturday against San Diego FC, which is struggling with its recent performance.
Minnesota (2-2-2, 8 points) secured a 2-1 victory against the Los Angeles Galaxy last Saturday, even without Rodriguez, a prominent player for Colombia during the World Cup.
The 34-year-old faced severe dehydration during an international match against France last month and was hospitalized for three days.
There were rumors that he had rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition that results in muscle breakdown. The club issued a statement refuting those claims.
“James reported to the club’s training facility on Monday, April 6, and took part in a supervised return-to-activity session,” the statement said. “His return to full team training will follow protocols set by the medical department, guided by his clinical progress. There is no clinical or lab evidence of rhabdomyolysis.”
Rodriguez participated in most training on Wednesday, but it remains uncertain if he will play on Saturday.
San Diego (3-1-2, 11 points) heads into this match without a win in its last four games after starting the season strong with five wins in six matches.
Manager Mikey Varas expressed disappointment over the team’s recent league performances, especially after an exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Toluca last month.
Despite goals from Marcus Ingvartsen and Anders Dreyer, San Diego ended in a 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake just before the March international break. They lost 3-0 to San Jose last Saturday.
In both games, the team was negatively impacted by red cards issued to defenders Christopher McVey and Manu Duah.
“We’re an ambitious club with high standards,” Varas said. “We’ve received too many red cards, conceded too many penalties, and haven’t played to our strengths.”