BOGOTA, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Colombia will seek new "variants" in next month's friendlies against Chile and Algeria as the Cafeteros step up preparations for the South American zone's 2022 World Cup qualifiers, head coach Carlos Queiroz said on Wednesday.
"We have to grow, improve and have more variants," Queiroz said in a video posted on the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) website. "We have to play practical football with a team that's well organized and allows us to play freely during games."
Colombia will play Chile in Alicante, Spain, on October 12 and Algeria in Lille, France, three days later.
Queiroz will name a final 23-man squad for the matches next Tuesday (Oct. 1). Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez and Galatasaray striker Radamel Falcao are expected to be recalled for the fixtures, having missed Colombia's friendly draws with Brazil (2-2) and Venezuela (0-0) earlier this month because of leg muscle injuries.
The Portuguese manager also revealed that his team would likely play friendlies against Peru and Ecuador in November.
Colombia's focus will then turn to the CONMEBOL region's World Cup qualifying tournament, which starts in March.
"We have four games ahead of us. The goal is to develop as much as we can and gain more consistency. We want to give opportunities to players who can make us stronger and provide new options."
