Colombia soccer coach Jose Nestor Pekerman called on Carlos Carbonero to replace injured Aldo Leao Ramirez, national media reported on Sunday.
Carbonero was a starter for the Argentine squad CA River Plate, where he played a crucial role in winning the Argentine championship earlier this year, according to newspaper El Espectador.
Carbonero, from the Colombian capital of Bogota, will be joined in Brazil by the two other Colombians who play for River Plate, prolific striker Teofilo Gutierrez and rising defender Eder Alvarez Balanta.
With the national team, Carbonero has had one appearance, when he was called-on for a friendly match against Ecuador for 27 minutes by then coach Hernan Dario “Bolillo” Gomez, according to national news magazine Semana.
Ramirez, a central midfielder from Santa Marta, Colombia, was injured during a practice in anticipation of an exhibition match versus the Jordan National Team.
The sidelining of Ramirez is the latest in a string of injuries for the Colombian team, which includes superstar striker Radamel Falcao and veteran defender Luis Amaranto Perea — both out for the 2014 World Cup slated to begin on June 12 in Brazil.
MORE: Falcao not going to World Cup: Colombia coach
The Colombian team, playing Greece on June 14, will participate in their first World Cup since the 1998 World Cup held in France. Two friendly exhibition matches were held in Argentina in anticipation of the World Cup, which ended in a 2-2 draw versus Senegal and a 3-0 victory over Jordan.
MORE: Colombia drops to 8th in FIFA rankings as soccer World Cup looms
Sources
- Carlos Carbonero será el reemplazo de Aldo Leao Ramírez en el mundial (El Espectador)
- Carlos Carbonero, el reemplazo de Aldo Leão Ramírez (Semana)
