James Rodríguez Back in Nacional's Squad to Face Santa Fe

Good news out of Medellín: James Rodríguez has made the squad for Atlético Nacional's match against Independiente Santa Fe. Head coach Lucas González has settled on the 20 players who will take on this makeup game from matchday 5 of the 2026-II Liga BetPlay, and the list brings both relief and some uncomfortable surprises for the fan base.

The timing couldn't be better for the Antioquia side. Nacional arrives as league leader with 32 points, after coming from behind to beat Independiente Medellín 2-1 in the Medellín derby, a result that put them back atop the table and also sealed their spot in the semifinal group stage. Now they face a rival that's also in good form: Santa Fe sits fourth with 28 points after beating Bucaramanga in the closing minutes. Two of the semester's top performers, going head to head.

The big news for the green and white faithful is James's return. He had already seen minutes in the comeback win over Medellín and is back on the list again. But it's not all good news here: the absence that stings the most is Edwin Cardona, the team's captain and scorer of the equalizer in the derby. The midfielder won't be available because he has to serve a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation, under Dimayor's Resolution 106. If all goes according to plan, Cardona should be back in the fold for the match against Atlético Bucaramanga, set for November 2. Mateus Uribe and Rivero are also missing from the list.

On the medical front, it's a mixed bag. Néider Parra suffered a sprain in his left ankle, and his return will depend on how the injury progresses, a notable loss for the defense, where the center back had been carving out an important role. The situation is more serious for Ian Poveda, who underwent surgery on his left ankle and is facing a projected recovery time of three months. On the brighter side, Marlos Moreno has already begun field work as part of his recovery process, so his return appears to be on track.

The Morelos Mystery

It's striking that Alfredo Morelos was left off the squad list. The forward had gotten minutes in the derby against Medellín after overcoming a hamstring injury in his right leg that had kept him out of action for several weeks. His return in that match suggested he'd be back in the mix for Lucas González, but in the end he wasn't included for the match against Santa Fe. No explanation has been given for his absence so far.

Here's the full list of call-ups: in goal, Armani and Marquínez. On defense, Haydar, Tesillo, Reyes, Román, Casco and Velásquez. In midfield, Rojas, Zapata, Campuzano, Marín, Ríos, Cabrera, Rengifo and James Rodríguez. And up front, Rodríguez, Escorcia, Benítez and Sarmiento.

The match between Atlético Nacional and Independiente Santa Fe will be played this Thursday, October 29, at 8:30 p.m. (Colombia time), at Atanasio Girardot stadium.