The Colombian national soccer team began training in Argentina with their star player, Radamel Falcao Garcia, still on the mend, newspaper El Espectador reported on Monday.
Although Falcao — known affectionally by his countrymen as “El Tigre” — participated in the team’s practice over the weekend, Colombia’s prince of soccer was still in bandages and recovering from a knee injury he sustained at the beginning of the year.
El Tigre tore the ACL in his left knee while playing for his French league side Monaco in January and has had to train lightly post-surgery for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil next month.
It is still uncertain whether or not the 28-year old Colombian striker will recover in time to be inked in the 23-man lineup for the commencement of the World Cup on June 12.
According to IBN Live, Colombia’s Argentine coach Jose Pekerman said on Saturday, “I’ll wait until the last day, until the last hour, the last minute, to give out my list of 23.”
Even if Falcao does manage to be on the starting roster, there is no chance that he will be 100% healed and at the top of his game as he has not played a single minute of soccer in almost six months.
MORE: ‘Impossible’ to return 100% in time for World Cup: Falcao
The Colombian team practices are being held at a resort 50 miles north of Pekerman’s hometown of Buenos Aires.
Colombia will compete at the head of Group C of the World Cup with their debut match against Greece on June 14.
