James Rodriguez back in the starting lineup? - reports

James Rodriguez and his Real Madrid teammates will visit Espanyol next Sunday and reports from Spain suggest that the Colombian playmaker has earned a spot in the starting XI after his good performance against Sporting Portugal, when he allowed Madrid to turn things around and get a late win.

Apparently, Zidane is very happy not only with James' performance but also with his attitude in training. While the Colombian star wasn't very engaged last season, he is now trying to prove everyone wrong by giving his very best every time he's given the chance.

"Zidane is happy with James' work ethic. He is performing very well every match but Zidane would still like to see a bit more in training, even though he's doing much better this year," said L'Equipe's correspondent Frederic Hermel.

It's clear that Zidane will have to make some rotations throughout the season, so it will be difficult for James to start and play a relevant role in Madrid's biggest games. However, it does seem like the Colombian playmaker is slowly regaining his status.