Jaume Costa returns to training, Manu and Mario extend contracts, and more!

Villarreal has turned its attention to contract negotiations with players whose contracts expire next summer.  Negotiations have begun with Ike Uche, and Villarreal announced Mario Gaspar and Manu Trigueros (whose contract didn't expire until 2016 anyway) have extended their deals to 2019.

The other players whose contracts expire in 2015 are Dorado, Aitor Fernandez, and Gerard Moreno, according to transfermarkt.

Jaume Costa has returned to training--no word as to whether he expects to be available for the Almeria match, but good to see his progress.    With a Europa League game in midweek and a trip to Sevilla afterward, I am thinking if he makes the squad he might only play if we want to get him a few minutes late in the match?

For those of you visiting Vila-real, the new club shop in the central town square opens today; the shop at El Madrigal will only be open on game days.  People who have visited El Madrigal all say leave plenty of room in your luggage for souvenirs; I'm thinking now a spare suitcase might be in order!

Marca reports that Jonathan dos Santos may be called up for the Mexican national team at the next international break (yes, there is another one in mid-November, sigh), four years after being sent home with teammates for "arranging a fiesta in their hotel room", which is putting it delicately.  He is older and hopefully wiser now!

And Friday we will learn our opponent in the Copa del Rey.  It will be (probably) a club from Segunda B, or possibly the Segunda.  It can't be Mirandés, as they lost yesterday to Alavés, and Poli Ejido no longer exist, so that's two bogey teams gone.....we could end up drawn against the other Yellow Submarine, Cadiz, or Sid Lowe's beloved Real Oviedo.....or we could play at L'Hospitalet's awful synthetic pitch....

And apparently the Premier League has worked out their differences with UEFA, and the "International tournament for under-21 teams is set to go ahead.   EPL clubs will have their youth teams represented; Villarreal will send its B team.

The plan is for all the matches to be played in the UK; there are four four-team groups, each team will play the others in their groups once and then the top two will go on to the quarterfinals.  The dates of the matches aren't known yet, but obviously Villarreal B will compete in midweek due to their Segunda matches (the English clubs play in a reserve league so presumably have a little more freedom to arrange their matches).