All members of the Elche squad and their coaching staff enjoyed a small break after their Friday match, thanks to a win over Burgos that earned the players an extra two and a half days of rest. This pause was a rare treat, the first real downtime since the year began and the Christmas break when the team trained on Saturday morning, December 30, and did not regroup until Tuesday, January 2.
However, many players seized the chance to leave the city, heading home to reconnect with family and friends for a while.
Óscar Plano faced the end phase of his hamstring rehabilitation after an early January injury sustained in Almería. Arnau Puigmal also continued his recovery. Both players visited the Martínez Valero facilities on Saturday to resume treatment, though the transfer window remained closed during that period.
The Elche squad is set to return to training on Monday afternoon to begin preparations for the upcoming clash on Saturday, January 10, at four fifteen in the afternoon, hosted at Lezama inside Athletic Club de Bilbao’s complex, with Amorebieta as the opposing youth team.
Initially, Beccacece anticipated only two absences from the Basque matchup: Plano and Puigmal.
Meanwhile, Ecuadorian Jhegson Méndez planned to join Elche on Sunday to begin adapting with the team. The midfielder, who arrives on loan from Sao Paulo, had not played since the MLS season ended on December 26, and he would need time to settle into the green-and-green unit before taking the field. He is expected to require a period of acclimatization before becoming available for selection.
Elche’s fifth official signing: Jhegson Méndez
Balance and new introductions were highlighted by the club’s movements during the winter market, with an eye on strengthening the squad.
This Monday morning at a little after eleven, the club’s sports director reviewed the winter market actions. The squad saw six arrivals and six departures during the transfer window.
Summary: Elche signed Méndez, Bermejo and López, while Fidel was released and Guti transferred
Around noon, the official presentation of midfielder Sergio Bermejo took place as a new Elche player. Bermejo joined on a loan with an option to purchase, with the deal linked to Royal Zaragoza; center back David López also joined on a loan with an option to purchase from a different club.
Both players sat on the bench for the Burgos match last Friday but had not yet debuted for Elche when the article was written.