Colombia are dangerous, warns Fabianski

MOSCOW: Colombia could tear England apart in the last 16 and are a team best avoided.

That is the warning from Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, whose side shipped three goals against Colombia in the group stage.

New West Ham signing Fabianski said that the technical ability of Colombia's midfield could make them devastating against Gareth Southgate's England on Tuesday.

He believes England could be at risk just like Poland, following the defeat by Belgium — who earned the far easier last-16 tie against Japan.

“They tore us apart when we played them, so you have to look out when you face them,” Fabianski said. “You have to try to make sure they don't get a grip on the game.

“Colombia are a much better side than Japan. Much more dangerous. They lost the first game 2-1 against Japan but if you look at the qualities, the team to avoid at this stage would be Colombia.”

Scouts from another leading nation here have told Sportsmail that they also consider Jose Pekerman's side to be dark horses — dangerous and difficult to deal with when given freedom to operate in their opponents’ half.

The scouts said they believe the world’s 16th-ranked nation have four or five world-class creative players, and Fabianski highlighted James Rodriguez and Juan Fernando Quintero in particular.

‘Quintero is a really good player with real confidence about himself. This midfield, with Rodriguez as well, has quality,’ Fabianski said.

However, a top Colombian sports surgeon has cast doubts over whether Rodriguez will be fit to face England.

The 26-year-old has a problem in his left calf and Dr Edgar Munoz said: “He's not 100 per cent. He was unrecognisable in the Senegal game. He did not take any risks. That tells you he has a problem.”

The scouts said Colombia's weakness is in central defence, where they feel Barcelona’s Yerry Mina and Tottenham’s Davinson Sanchez lack mobility against pace.

However, the professional opinion on Colombia is that their unpredictability makes them difficult to prepare for. But they have a habit of allowing teams to force them back into their own half, something Japan highlighted in their opening game.

Fabianski said England need to start well. “In games like this on the big stage, things are often quite even until the first goal,” he said. “Then you have to change. One team has to go for it and the other team feels much more confident. That’s what happened in our game with Colombia.”

Encouragingly for England, one of the biggest criticisms of Colombia has been their inability to deliver against more established football nations.