Carlo Ancelotti excluded James Rodriguez Everton clash with West Ham United On Wednesday, just 48 hours later, the Colombian sat on the bench.
Even more surprising, however, was then Ancelotti made the Colombian play with 30 minutes left to try to break the deadlock.
Still, it would prove ineffective as James looked down from the pass, which was logical since he had not played for almost a month.
It was Ancelotti himself who admitted at the end of the match that his midfielder was not yet 100 percent fit.
“James had problems not allowing him to play or practice, and against West Ham he only played 30 minutes,” he said after the 1-0 home defeat.
“He needs to improve his condition, but he will be much better in the next games.”