Sunday’s match against Almeria is a big one for Villarreal, as it will the debut for new head coach Pacheta, who was given the job last weekend following the sacking of previous manager Quique Setien.
Villarreal have made a poor start to the season, having lost three of their opening four fixtures (W1). They will hope to kickstart their campaign against Almeria, and fortunately for Pacheta, he has an almost-full strength squad to choose from.
However, he may be without Ben Brereton Diaz for Sunday’s match, with MD reporting that he did not train on Thursday after sustaining muscle discomfort during his international exploits with Chile.
Brereton Diaz has made a slow start to his Villarreal career, having joined from English side Blackburn Rovers as a free agent during the summer. He has only started one match (vs Mallorca), and he would hope that those numbers improve under Pacheta.
If Brereton Diaz is unable to take part against Almeria, Yeremy Pino will almost certainly start for Villarreal once again. It underlines the strength in depth that the Groguets have, which will be crucial for their adventures in the Europa League, which get underway next week.
