Colombia boss Jose Pekerman hopes James Rodriguez will be fit to play England

Colombia manager Jose Pekerman has said that he hopes midfielder James Rodriguez will be fit to play in his side's clash with England in the round of 16 at the World Cup.

Los Cafeteros will face Gareth Southgate's side at the Spartak Stadium on Tuesday night, with Sweden or Switzerland awaiting the winner in the quarter-finals.

James sat out training on Sunday after suffering from a calf injury throughout the group stages of the tournament.

"We had good news after his medical tests. After his MRI [scan] we knew that he doesn't have a serious injury," Pekerman told reporters.

"We still have one-and-a-half days to see how he feels, and as always we hope that he will be able to play in the following games.

"Muriel is an option [if James is not fit]. He was great during the match against Senegal. He was able to change the pace, he's technically gifted and really fast. He works well with the team."

James was the top scorer at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, leading to his big-money move to Real Madrid the same year.