Venezuela’s Rondon to miss two World Cup qualifiers

London: Venezuela forward Salomon Rondon has been ruled out of the World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Ecuador with a hamstring strain, his club West Bromwich Albion said on Wednesday.

“[Rondon] suffered the problem in training with Albion last Saturday before travelling to join up with his international side,” the Premier League club said on their website (www.wba.co.uk). Venezuela, who prop up the South American qualifying group with two points from 10 matches, host second-bottom Bolivia on Thursday before visiting third-placed Ecuador on Tuesday.

Rondon, who became the first Venezuelan to score in three Copa Americas in June, has scored 18 goals in 57 internationals but none during qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The top four from the 10-team section qualify for the finals while the fifth-placed team face an intercontinental play-off.