Elche resumes work this Monday without any absences due to the national team window, just as happened last week during the break for international matches. The Franjiverde side continues alongside Girona as one of the few clubs not compelled to release players to national teams at this time. As a result, they avoid the so‑called FIFA virus, sidestepping injuries, fatigue, long travels, and the disruptions caused by time zone and weather shifts.
The situation marks a departure from other breaks. The absence of players like Moisés Mojica and Enzo Roco forced Elche to adjust training plans and forego essential pieces. The Colombian’s departure and the calls involving Argentine and Chilean internationals mean Francisco can work with nearly the full squad, save for any injuries, in an effort to reverse the current negative run of results.
With international duties on pause for Elche, the club can stage a mini pre‑season. The aim is twofold: reshape players’ conditioning, which the coach identified as a weakness in the opening days, and tighten overall fitness before resuming league play. Newcomers to the late transfer window, such as Álex Collado, Domingos Quina, Nico Fernández Mercau from Argentina, and Fede Fernández, gain valuable time on the pitch. The latter has not yet debuted; given the defensive issues caused by injuries and sanctions, he could be handed his first opportunity at Vallecas in about a week.
Diaspora in the league
In Girona, as in Elche, the pause was used to train calmly without losses. The Catalan club even organized a concentration that served both training and the strengthening of squad unity, a reminder of the benefits when a club controls the rhythm during a break.
The opposite trend is seen at Barcelona, where the fixtures demanded the most from the national team, with 18 first‑team players away. Xavi has kept squads on deck for days, and there is little margin for injuries during this window, a risk highlighted by the absence or potential return of players like Jules Koundé, Ronald Araujo, Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, and Ousmane Dembélé.
In this hypothetical ranking, Real Madrid sits behind Barcelona as the league leader and current champion. The Whites received encouraging news with Karim Benzema possibly returning as the season resumes, after the injury that sidelined him in the previous matches. Real Madrid has also seen a sizeable drop in available players during the window, with fifteen away and several others potentially returning soon. The French forward’s absence during the break is a reminder of the delicate balance clubs must strike between national team duties and club competitiveness.
Number of international players by club
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Atlético, Sevilla and Villarreal also surpass ten internationals. Espanyol and Betis follow with eight. Elche’s next opponent, before the Rayo Vallecano games, stands at seven internationals. With several players away, including Dimitrievski (North Macedonia), Balliu (Albania), Falcao (Colombia), Ciss (Senegal), Baby (Cape Verde) and Camello and Morro (Spain U21), Andoni Iraola will not assemble his squad until at least Thursday.
Without the FIFA virus and with multiple Rayo Vallecano injuries, Elche hopes to use these two weeks to regain top form and gain an advantage in the upcoming league match against Real Madrid next Monday.
[Fuente: Compañía Deportiva Local].