Elche Faces FIFA Break: Loses Three Internationals, Schedules Friendly with Emery

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 27, 2026 7:36 AM ET

Elche Faces FIFA Break: Loses Three Internationals, Schedules Friendly with Emery

Elche will use the international window to regroup after a morale-boosting win over Mallorca. That victory ended an 11-match winless run and lifted the club out of the relegation zone.

International call-ups

Coach Eder Sarabia will be without three players during the FIFA break. The club loses three internationals to national team duty.

Defender Andreas Affengruber received his first senior Austria call-up. He will train with Ralf Rangnick’s squad and play friendlies on March 27 and March 31. Those matches are warm-ups for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Midfielder Diang has been summoned by the Democratic Republic of Congo. He will join the squad preparing for the inter-confederation play-off in Guadalajara, Mexico. DR Congo awaits the winner of New Caledonia vs Jamaica for the March 31 decider.

Striker Iván Cepeda travels with Chile for a short Oceania tour. Chile faces Cape Verde on March 27 and New Zealand on March 30, both in Auckland. The national team did not qualify for the World Cup and enters a new cycle.

Training, injuries and squad news

Elche will rest until Tuesday, when the squad returns at 17:30. The break offers time to treat several fitness issues.

Sarabia hopes to recover André Silva and John Chetauya for the Rayo Vallecano match. Héctor Fort is back in Elche to continue shoulder rehabilitation after his December injury.

Medical staff will monitor Pedro Bigas and Víctor Chust, both carrying knocks. Marc Aguado was substituted with visible fatigue, which Sarabia attributed to accumulated tiredness.

Planned friendly with Aston Villa

The club has arranged a training match against Aston Villa during the pause. The friendly is not yet confirmed in date or venue.

Aston Villa are led by Unai Emery and currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League. The two clubs have recent contact over the fullback Andrés García.