James Rodriguez set to start for Real Madrid against Granada on Sunday

Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez is set to return to Carlo Ancelotti’s starting eleven against Granada on Sunday.

The Colombia international has been sidelined since February after having surgery on his broken right foot. He resumed training on March 24 and has steadily increased his efforts in order to secure a place in Ancelotti’s squad.

Yesterday, James passed his last test when he completed a scrimmage with teammates under normal match conditions. The 23-year-old reported no discomfort following the session and informed the coaching staff that he was “good to go”.

The Colombian midfielder is expected to replace Isco in Real Madrid’s starting eleven versus Granada. However, the plan is to remove James after sixty minutes in an effort to slowly rebuild the player’s match fitness.

Real Madrid have struggled during the player’s absence – despite the positive contributions of Isco. The club has won four, drawn once and lost four since the midfielder was sidelined with injury on February 4.

Up until that point, James had appeared in every match for Madrid, tallying 12 goals and nine assists in all competitions.

The midfielder’s return will come as positive news after it was learned earlier this week that Pepe will miss Madrid’s next three games with a muscle injury. France international Raphael Varane is expected to replace the Portuguese defender in Ancelotti’s team.

Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Granada will be: Casillas; Arbeloa, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Modric, Kroos, James; Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale.