Bogota: Colombia manager Carlos Queiroz has called up uncapped America de Cali goalkeeper Eder Chaux for the team’s opening 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Chile. Chaux, 28, replaces Napoli keeper David Ospina, who was barred from traveling after two players from the Italian club tested positive for coronavirus, the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) said on Monday.
Chaux, who was named in Colombia’s preliminary squad for last year’s Copa America in Brazil, joined America de Cali this year from their Colombian top flight rivals Patriotas Boyaca.
Colombia will face Venezuela in Barranquilla on Friday and Chile in Santiago four days later.
Other goalkeepers in Queiroz’s squad for the matches are Camilo Vargas, Alvaro Montero and Aldair Quintana.
Ospina is the fourth player to be cut for the fixtures because of injuries or coronavirus restrictions, joining Porto pair Matheus Uribe and Luis Diaz as well as Leon midfielder Yairo Moreno. Others drafted into Colombia’s squad in the past week are Corinthians midfielder Victor Cantillo, Hertha Berlin striker John Cordoba and Bayer Leverkusen defender Santiago Arias.