Happy St. Patrick's Day! There is a bit going on in the world of Villarreal, as the club waits patiently for its first Monday evening match.
Injury news first up. In an excellent development, Santi Cazorla participated in a full training on Wednesday. No word yet on his return timeframe, but this is a definite positive step. Perhaps he can be available for the last eight or so matches of the season. I kind of doubt that is enough to get him back into the national side, but perhaps it will give him a chance.
On the other side of the equation, Gonzalo Rodriguez has suffered a strained rectus muscle in the back of his left leg, and is doubtful for the match against Malaga. This is especially disappointing considering the improvement that the defense has shown as of late. Musacchio is the expected replacement.
Worth noting, Manuel Pellegrini is getting closer and closer (allegedly) to the door at the Bernabeu, despite a quite admiral performance so far. If he does leave, surely the question must be where he goes, and more specifically, is Villarreal a possibility? I do not know whether it would be good for the club or not to see him back at El Madrigal on a regular basis, but I think this is something that is going to be fairly big news. Phil Ball recently commented (in passing) that his return to Villarreal is a possibility. He is usually pretty knowledgeable about things futbol.
Despite Villarreal's reported financial troubles, they have been linked with a fairly large summer swoop for disgruntled Liverpool midfielder and Spanish national team member Albert Riera. The rumored price tag is €6.5, which is very big by Villarreal standards, but it has been reported in a few different spots, suggesting a little weight to the story.
Villarreal have also been linked to a couple of other players, including Stuttgart defender and Mexican international Ricardo Osorio, and Banfield (Argentina) midfielder Vergara.
Talked about earlier in the comments, Hernan Perez has been officially called up to the Paraguay national side. This is his first call up to the first team national side, and it could lead to action in South Africa for the midfielder. Endavant, Hernan!
Marcos Senna will enjoy his 200th cap for Villarreal when the club takes on Malaga on Monday. Surely someone around here knows - has anyone been capped more for the club since promotion?