Elche CF resumed training on Monday following a休 rest day, after the recent La Liga fixture ended in a draw in the round of 32 against Girona CF. The squad returned to the field with focus and intensity as they prepare for the upcoming league schedule.
Two early goals from Girona halt Elche’s momentum
JA Galvan
Elche’s players trained behind closed doors at the club’s facilities in Juan Ángel Romero, on the Díez Iborra pitch. Coach Sebastian Beccacece is guiding the squad as they steadily ramp up preparations for the resumption of league play, scheduled for Saturday, January 13, when Elche will host Tenerife at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López stadium. Tenerife remains a strong challenger in the promotion race.
The main change in Elche’s session was the presence of Manu Nieto, the club’s first winter signing intended to strengthen the frontline. Worsening injuries have temporarily sidelined Óscar Plano, creating additional opportunities for new and existing forwards to assert themselves.
Manu Nieto: the forward for today and the future for Elche
JA Galvan
The Cordoba-born striker has joined the Franjiverde from a partner country in a deal with a buy option at season’s end. Nieto will join his new teammates for the first time and could make his Tenerife debut on Saturday. He is already training with the new group and appears to be in good physical condition after featuring in most of the first-round matches.
| First day @M_grandson9 Like Franjiverde #MuchoElche pic.twitter.com/Jkbc3NE3n2
— Elche Football Club —
Beccacece will have additional attacking options, including Mourad, Sergio León, and Borja Garcés, to complement Nieto once he is fully integrated into the squad.
Manu Nieto is highlighted as Elche’s new player, expected to contribute immediately while also offering long-term value to the club’s attacking dynamics.
Matías Dituro, the Argentinian goalkeeper, is set to join Elche officially after the club announced the move earlier in the week. Dituro is scheduled to arrive and begin training with the team, with a potential debut window opening shortly after his arrival. He is expected to compete for a starting role in goal alongside or ahead of the current options, depending on form and fitness.
Dituro’s arrival will bring additional competition for goalkeeper duties, with Miguel San Román continuing to be a reliable presence between the posts. The competition for the starting spot is anticipated to intensify moving forward as Tenerife and other league rivals approach crucial fixtures in the stretch run of the season.
Elche will monitor the integration of the new signing closely, ensuring smooth cohesion with fellow forwards and the midfield unit. The club’s coaching staff is optimistic about strengthening the depth chart while maintaining overall team balance as the campaign advances.
Elche close to securing a replacement for Edgar Badia
JA Galvan
With roster decisions in focus, Beccacece is expected to have the majority of the squad available, aside from the injured Óscar Plano. If no further departures or arrivals occur in the coming days, the coach will have a pool of 24 players to select from for matchday squads. The squad includes a mix of veteran performers and youth prospects, including Rodri Mendoza who has already started the last few matches in both the league and the cup competition, highlighting the club’s strategy of promoting from within when possible.
“The team is building depth and experience across multiple positions”, noted a club spokesperson, underscoring the importance of squad rotation as the season progresses. The ongoing adjustments aim to keep Elche competitive in both domestic league play and cup commitments, with an eye toward securing consistent results in the battles ahead.
Meanwhile, the goalkeeper situation remains under review. Dituro’s arrival is expected to heighten the competition for starting duties, with San Román’s consistency providing a strong counterbalance. This balance is crucial as the team pushes for stability throughout the campaign and navigates a demanding schedule that includes travel to Tenerife and other away fixtures.
Elche’s strategic focus remains on reinforcing the forward line, maintaining a solid defensive foundation, and ensuring the squad can contend for promotion through a combination of disciplined play, tactical flexibility, and emerging talent from the club’s development pipeline. The upcoming fixtures will test these components as Beccacece shapes a cohesive unit capable of delivering consistent performances across all competitions.