Elche gathered the six players who could not attend yesterday morning in the morning practice today due to a stomach virus that kept them from training. The Díez Iborra football field hosted the team’s preparations for the match against Barcelona at 16:15 tomorrow at Camp Nou, with training sessions between 10:30 and 11:45. Everything was in place for the A team, except Omar Mascarell, who will not appear on the roster as reported yesterday by BİLGİ.
Francisco’s squad is bracing for a tough test in a week shaped by an unusual disruption: six players were sidelined by viral gastroenteritis. Enzo Roco, Ezequiel Ponce, Gerard Gumbau, Álex Collado, Roger Marí and Diego González could not train with the group, and Almería disrupted the coach’s plans. After today’s session, several players indicated they had recovered from a 24-hour virus, while those affected told this newspaper they felt in excellent condition after a difficult day. [Source: club press conference]
Omar Mascarell remains the only confirmed absentee for travel to Barcelona. His Achilles tendon discomfort persists, and the coaching staff decided not to push him this week, choosing a period of rest to allow recovery through the break provided by the national team fixtures. Francisco noted that Mascarell’s condition prevents him from being at 100 percent, and the decision was made to step back.
Concerning the recent wave of absences, the club did not consider requesting a match suspension, since early signs suggested a full recovery for the affected players. In a press briefing, Francisco acknowledged some skepticism among observers about fatigue in the squad, but he emphasized that six players who missed yesterday due to the stomach virus rejoined the group today and should be available for tomorrow’s match, barring any lingering fatigue. [Source: club press briefing]
The coach also addressed Pol Lirola’s situation, admitting that the player is currently working with the physiotherapists and there was uncertainty about travel readiness. He sustained a knock during training and is receiving ongoing treatment as a precaution while the team checks his availability for the trip. Francisco said Lirola’s progress would be reassessed ahead of departure. [Source: club press briefing]