Iñigo Pérez brings 11 academy players into Villarreal training during international break | OneFootball

Villarreal have drafted 11 academy players into first team training during the international break, with Iñigo Pérez turning to youth as 12 regulars are away.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the call-ups are goalkeeper Javier Ceballos, defenders Enric Pujol and Toni Falcó, midfielders Jairo Trujillo, Álvaro Alcaide, Moussa Koné and Cheikh Thiam, and forwards Nizar El Jmili, Albert García, Mauro Roca and Mahamoud Barry.

For the youngsters it is a chance to work directly under Pérez and to showcase themselves closer to the senior set-up. Day-to-day training features a reduced first team group of Gulácsi, Luiz Júnior, Rubén Gómez, Carlos Romero, Foyth, Pau Navarro, Sergi Cardona, Diatta, Moleiro, Comesaña, Gerard Moreno and Ayoze.

Workloads differ, with Comesaña continuing his recovery on the side and Foyth still building his integration.

Not all 11 are starting from scratch. Nizar El Jmili and Cheikh Thiam were involved with the senior squad in pre-season and know Pérez’s demands.

Thiam scored in a 1-3 win over PSV in Eindhoven, one of the first summer friendlies. The Senegalese midfielder, renewed until 2031, is among the B team’s top prospects and captains Senegal under-20.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”