Villarreal team news, January 5

(1)  Sr. Roig is quoted as saying "we're not selling Vietto".  No surprise there; rumors are still flowing about Liverpool (and Arsenal) being interested in him in the English press.

(2) Musacchio has returned to training, is basically fit but getting back into game mode.  He may be selected for the Malaga match, or could play in the return leg of the Copa against La Real (won't this Wednesday, though).

(3) Sr. Lizarraga has a long article in EPM, noting the Riquelme and Garrido problems were resolved by the club parting ways with them, and he expects the same with Cani.  He notes that there is no one single thing that's happened to cause the rupture, it's really grown up over time, but now there is a lack of mutual trust and so it would be best for the team and player to part ways.

The journalist refrenced the "principle of authority" (Riquelme) and "abuse of power" (Garrido) , and had some interesting comments about Garrido.  At the time I remember many of us felt Sr. Roig Negueroles was the person who supported Garrido the most as the problems mounted up, but Lizarraga says no, Sr. Roig himself made a key error; he let his ego get in the way and kept Garrido in place, even though his son and Sr. Llaneza felt a change was needed.

Garrido "came to Villarreal poor and left a millionaire", and he is now doing quite well in Egypt; his Al-Ahly side won the CAF Confederations Cup in December and they are lying fourth in the league, with games in hand on those above them.  He has a two-year contract with Al-Ahly, and the first six months, at least, have been great.

(4) Adrián Marín wasn't selected for either the first or second team last weekend, due to injury.  If he isn't able to play against Malaga, expect Rukavina to switch sides and play on the left in place of Jaume Costa.

Endavant!