VILLARREAL NEWS

Pepe Reina - Sent off from bench Reina was sent off in the 62nd minute of Saturday's match against Mallorca after receiving a straight red card and will now be suspended for the club's next contest against Barcelo...

Impact Reina didn't touch the pitch once on Saturday but still managed to receive a red card in the match, having been sent off from the bench in the 62nd minute of the draw. He will now miss the club's next game against Barcelona on Saturday, which shouldn't affect the team sheet too much for that contest, as he has gone unused off the bench in the club's past five games and has only started six times all season. He will next be available on Feb. 4 against Cadiz.

JANUARY 20 • ROTOWIRE

Goncalo Guedes - Loaned to Villarreal Guedes had his loan switched to Villarreal after spending the first half of the season with Benfica, the club announced.

Impact Guedes is on loan from Wolves where he seemingly has little future. The forward made two appearances off the bench for Benfica in the first half of the season in the Champions League but is now making the swap to Villarreal. His move to Wolves has never really worked out but in his last season in La Liga Guedes scored 11 and assisted six for Valencia, so he should be an instant impact-maker in the Villarreal starting XI.

JANUARY 19 • ROTOWIRE

Dani Parejo - Injuries knee in training Parejo sustained a right knee sprain in Wednesday's training session.

Impact The severity of Parejo's sprain will determine how long he is sidelined but at a minimum, the midfielder should probably be expected to miss the next three weeks, which would have him return mid-February. With Ramon Terrats (knee) also available, Etienne Capoue and Santi Comesana figure to make up the central midfield duo.

JANUARY 18 • ROTOWIRE

Alfonso Pedraza - Facing extended absence Pedraza sustained an ankle injury during training Wednesday, which the team's report described as chondral damage to the tibiotalar joint and damage to stabilizing muscular structu...

Impact Pedraza could be facing a 2-3 month recovery time period depending on the severity of the damage and if it requires surgery. The defender had been sharing the left-back role with Alberto Moreno but now will be out of action for a significant chunk of the campaign. Prior to getting hurt, Pedraza recorded one goal on three shots (two on target), 18 crosses (three accurate) and five chances created in his last four appearances.

JANUARY 18 • ROTOWIRE

Athletic Bilbao tops Sociedad 2-1 in Basque Country derby to move up to 3rd. Villarreal loses again

Athletic Bilbao forward Álex Berenguer has scored twice in a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad which lifted the hosts into third place in the Spanish league

JANUARY 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dani Parejo - Leads Villarreal in tackles Parejo took an off target shot, crossed once inaccurately, created a chance and made five tackles (winning three) during Saturday's 3-0 loss to Las Palmas.

Impact Parejo was held off the scoresheet while leading Villarreal with five tackles in the match. The midfielder has scored twice over his last five La Liga starts while making 11 tackles, three interceptions and creating six chances.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Gerard Moreno - Fires five shots Moreno took five off target shots and crossed once inaccurately during Saturday's 3-0 loss to Las Palmas.

Impact Moreno was held off the scoresheet while firing a team-high five shots in the loss. The forward has two goals over his last four league starts while taking 12 shots and creating five chances.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Filip Jorgensen - Allows three in loss Jorgensen allowed three goals without making a save during Saturday's 3-0 loss to Las Palmas.

Impact Jorgensen allowed a goal in the first half and two in the second as Villarreal dropped all three points Saturday. The keeper has now allowed 41 goals in 20 league starts while his save total remained at 84.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Alfonso Pedraza - Starting against Las Palmas Pedraza (hamstring) has made the XI to face Las Palmas on Saturday.

Impact Pedraza has healed up quickly from an ailment and will resume starting right away. He has done so in four of his previous five appearances, registering 24 crosses (three accurate), five chances created, and nine tackles (three won).

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Alfonso Pedraza - Listed to squad list Pedraza (hamstring) will be an option for Saturday's match against Las Palmas, according to the AS Journal.

Impact Pedraza looks to be making his return to action on Saturday against Las Palmas, finally returning from muscular discomfort he was feeling in his hamstring that kept him out for the club's last contest against Valencia. The defender could earn a nod into the starting XI immediately now that he is healthy, as he has started in 13 of the club's games at left back when healthy. If he doesn't start, expect Alberto Moreno to get that role again, with Pedraza most likely entering the pitch at some point in the second half.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Raul Albiol - Out once again Albiol (undisclosed) will be out for Saturday's contest against La Palmas, having not been named to the squad list.

Impact Alibol is still not ready for a return despite having two weeks to recover before the club's match due to the winter break, having been left out of the squad list with an undisclosed injury. Not much has been released on the player's status since going down with the knock, as manager Marcelino Garcia Toral only stated that the club has an injury plague heading into the contest instead of confirming what his players were dealing with. Albiol will hope to be healthy for the club's next match against Mallorca on Dec. 20, as he was a regular starter before encountering the issue.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Ramon Terrats - Ruptures meniscus Terrats will be out the next two to three months after suffering a ruptured meniscus that will require surgery, his club announced Friday.

Impact Terrats is heading towards a lengthy period on the sidelines, as he is now set to undergo surgery after rupturing his meniscus in his left knee. This will be a decent loss for Villarreal despite the player not being a regular starter, as the midfielder usually is involved either way, with him being a reoccurring presence off the bench. He will now be out anywhere from two to three months and possibly even another if he encounters any setbacks, but the exact date is still unsure with such serious surgery about to take place. Both the club and player will hope for a speedy recovery, as they would like to see the player return before the end of the campaign. While he is out, expect Santi Comesana to gain more time and for the possible increase of inclusion for Francis Coquelin, as he has only appeared twice all season after getting regular minutes over the last three seasons with the club.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Aissa Mandi - Headed to AFCON Mandi was called up for AFCON 2023 with Algeria.

Impact Mandi is set to miss most of January and potentially even later if Algeria make a deep run in AFCON. The defender has been out of the starting XI of late and shouldn't be a major loss in central defense while he is away on national team duty.

JANUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE

Chile striker Ben Brereton Diaz joins Sheffield United on loan from Villarreal

Chile striker Ben Brereton Diaz has left Villarreal to join Sheffield United on loan for the rest of the season

JANUARY 5 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Santi Comesana - Back in contention Comesana has served his one match suspension and is set to be an option for Jan 13 trip to Las Palmas.

Impact Comesana has been on a decent form prior to his suspension, scoring once with five tackles and four clearances in the last five matches played, four of them coming as starts. However, Etienne Capoue continues to be the favorite to start in the midfield for Villarreal.

JANUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Baena - Done with suspension Baena has completed his one match suspension and is expected to be an option for Jan 13 trip to Las Palmas.

Impact Banea will continue to pick up where he left off in 2023, with five assists already on the season, which is already his career high for a single season. He's also started all 16 matches played in La Liga, with an average of about 2.1 chances created and 4.5 crosses in that span.

JANUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE

Ramon Terrats - Registers most crosses in the game Terrats had seven crosses (zero accurate) and two tackles in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat to Valencia. In addition, he was given a yellow card in the 80th minute.

Impact Terrats led in crosses but had a subpar performance and conceded a penalty. With only five starts this season, his sole goal involvement occurred against Real Madrid earlier this month.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Ilias Akhomach - Assists against Valencia Akhomach assisted once to go with one shot (zero on goal), three crosses (one accurate) and one corner in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat versus Valencia.

Impact Akhomach played a key role in Villarreal's game, assisting Gerard Moreno's consolation goal in the 73rd minute. Operating consistently on the right flank, he showcased his attacking prowess with an impressive seven completed dribbles. Additionally, he contributed defensively with two tackles. Notably, this performance marked his first goal involvement in La Liga in nearly three months.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Filip Jorgensen - Concedes three against Valencia Jorgensen recorded five saves and allowed three goals in Tuesday's 3-1 loss versus Valencia.

Impact Jorgensen made five crucial saves but faced a challenging outcome, conceding three goals, including two penalties. His consistent presence in every game this season has seen him make an impressive 84 saves, averaging 4.4 saves per game-the highest in the league for any goalkeeper. His next challenge awaits against Las Palmas in 10 days.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Raul Albiol - Comes off early Albiol was forced off just 17 minutes into Wednesday's clash with Valencia.

Impact Albiol made it just 17 minutes before coming off for Eric Bailly. The defender is a major loss, especially if this injury proves to be serious. Albiol's first chance to return to La Liga action will come against Las Palmas on Jan. 13, if he can't go Bailly would likely get the start.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Gerard Moreno - Returns to starting XI Moreno (calf) is starting for Tuesday's clash with Valencia.

Impact Moreno has recovered from his calf injury that forced him to missed last match. He's started six of the last eight games played, logging in two goals and two assists in that span.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Francis Coquelin - Bench option for Tuesday Coquelin (knee) is starting on the bench for Tuesday's match versus Valencia.

Impact Coquelin is back with the team after missing the last match with a knee injury. He's miss a majority of the campaign with the same knee injury, making just three appearances all season.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Alfonso Pedraza - Left out Tuesday Pedraza (undisclosed) will remain unavailable versus Valencia on Tuesday.

Impact Pedraza was forced off in the 22nd minute against Celtic on Dec. 20 due to his undisclosed injury and will now be out of action for Tuesday's tilt. Alberto Moreno will likely move back to the defensive left side with Pedraza still missing from the squad.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE