With Roger Martí and Pere Milla sidelined through injuries in Cádiz, Elche heads into Friday’s clash with Betis at the Martínez Valero with only three established forwards available. One of the options is at risk too. Randy Nteka has not trained with the squad all week. After a rest day on Monday, he trained in the gym on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the club. No further details were provided, but the striker has been dealing with muscle discomfort since he left the field in the 66th minute of the defeat to Real Madrid.
his arrival
Elche’s upstart move lacked tempo. He played, but was never at ease. Not even against Espanyol did he look comfortable. A week before the last league match, the Franjiverde forward was already feeling the strain. He featured for only 20 minutes in the 0-1 loss to Real Sociedad, with limited involvement and some even labeling him as “timid” in the press.
Target Attack and Low Minimums
Manager Pablo Machín could find himself with nothing but two forwards to call on. Eze Ponce and Lucas Boyé trained with the group in Díez Iborra yesterday and did so extensively. It’s clear they want game time, yet the chances against Betis were squandered by Elche. Ponce has three league goals this season; Boyé’s chances have been limited. Betis, with twenty-nine goals, sits comfortably ahead of Elche, and looks like the more potent unit—though football is never predictable.
Elche could lose Nteka to Betis
VL Deltel
It seems unlikely that Nteka will feature in Machín’s lineup, but there remains a slim chance he could be involved as a late substitute if needed, perhaps against Espanyol, where he might see minutes off the bench late on.
no others
The two other absences on yesterday’s session were Pere Milla, out long term, and Jose Angel Carmona, suspended, making Betis the latest test for a squad short of options. The situation invites a heavier workload for the remaining attackers. Álex Collado, John Chetauya, and local talents Jony Álamo or Javi Pamies received training at Machín’s request, while others were rotated through the same regimen.
Collado has seen playing time only sparingly this season and is in a similar boat to Milla. Other forwards are suspended or rarely used in Machín’s plans, and players such as Gonzalo Verdu, Josan, and Lirola find themselves outside the regular first XI.
The squad is training behind closed doors at the stadium today. Later, the coach will hold a press conference ahead of the league encounter, where he will address Nteka’s possible absence due to the muscle issue and discuss the group dynamics ahead of tomorrow’s match against Betis.