Elche CF Opens a Weeklong Training Camp at Oliva Nova Golf Hotel
Elche CF arrived at Oliva Nova to begin a focused week of concentration, as the new coach Pablo Machín outlines his early ideas ahead of the upcoming league resumption. The squad will train, live, and work away from the public eye, aiming to align on the tactical approach Machín plans to implement as competition returns in December.
The Franjiverde expedition heads to the Valencia region, staying in the town from Sunday, November 27 through Saturday, December 3. Throughout the week, a series of friendly matches will offer a first glimpse of the intentions and structure machined by Machín for the team’s renewed performance.
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the squad travels together for this camp as a unit, with 32 players listed in total. Of these, 25 are part of the first-team setup, including the club’s most recent signing, Lautaro Blanco. John Chetauyaa remains listed with the main squad for all intents and purposes while holding a subsidiary license. Six domestic players are also included, featuring goalkeepers Juanpe and Quirante, right-back Carlos Marco, central midfielder Manu Cocca, and midfielders Alejandro Alfaro and Bane Knezevic. Rodrigo Mendoza was anticipated to join after renewing his contract until 2026, though recent medical considerations saw him stay back to recover from an adductor issue before joining the group later. Mendoza’s situation reflects the careful management of returning players following recent international duties.
Lautaro Blanco commented on the move, saying that joining Elche and competing in Europe represents a major milestone in his career, signaling the importance of this period for his personal development and the club’s ambitions.
The coaching staff and the club agreed that all first-team members should travel together, ensuring that even players dealing with injuries or illnesses remain integrated with the group. Medical staff will be present to support ongoing rehabilitation plans, allowing players to progress without delay as the camp unfolds.
Photographs from the camp show Pablo Machín overseeing drills with his assistants as the sessions begin. The accessible training ground environment at Oliva Nova helps maintain focus and momentum during this critical phase of preparation.
Up to nine players are reported to have non-seasonal injuries. Morente is sidelined with a fibrillar tear in the calf, expected to keep him out for about two weeks. Enzo Roсo is managing discomfort in the Achilles tendon, which excludes him from participation in the King’s Cup match against Alcora. He indicated that he would not be present for the first week back after the break. Javier Pastore continues to deal with persistent issues in one of his legs, while Oliva is anticipated to begin integrating into the group in the near term. Quina returned to action with a hamstring tear, and last week switched from gym work to outdoor training on the pitch. Raul Guti has calf pain since the cup game and is expected to join soon. Fidel Chaves and Gonzalo Verdu recovered from hamstring problems but are reintroducing intensity gradually. Helibelton Palacios also deals with a hamstring issue, and Fede Fernandez is working through a quadriceps tear. These health considerations shape the camp’s schedule and the approach to workload management during the stay.
Tete Morente faces a longer-term setback due to a fibrillar rupture, keeping him out of action for several weeks, a challenge that the squad will manage as others push for minutes and form on the field.
As for the squad dynamics, the group is set to include several homegrown players who will participate in the Oliva stage. At around four o’clock this afternoon, a match involving the subsidiary team, the RFEF Third Division, against Rayo Ibense in Ibi, marks an early test and an opportunity for rising talents under the supervision of Nino, who has recently taken the helm as head coach of the Illicitano side. The transition comes after the dismissal of Alberto Gallego earlier in the week.
Nino and Carlos Geraldo now oversee the Elche subsidiary, guiding a core group of six domestic players who will join the first team’s travels as part of the broader strategic plan laid out by Machín and his coaching staff.