Seven things to know about Villarreal’s pre-season return | OneFootball

Villarreal begin their 2026-27 pre-season with the World Cup last 16 still in play and Iñigo Pérez at the helm.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the squad start with three days of medicals at the Ciudad Deportiva José Manuel Llaneza before taking to the pitch on Thursday 9 July. Pérez will then start moulding a side for the Champions League, with LaLiga EA Sports due in about six weeks.

The new coach will work initially with around 16 first-team players, plus youngsters and others with futures to resolve. Several internationals will report later once holidays end.

Back from loan are Carlos Romero from Espanyol, Thiago Fernández after Oviedo and Ilias Akhomach following Rayo Vallecano.

Most of Villarreal’s World Cup players are now on break. Tani Oluwaseyi, Tajon Buchanan, Pape Gueye, Nicolas Pepe and Logan Costa are among those still to rejoin.

Miralcamp is the base, and the programme is European. The first friendly is Benfica v Villarreal on 17 July at 20:45 at Estadio Algarve in Faro.

Juan Foyth remains a major injury question after Achilles surgery for a rupture sustained on 24 January, and he is not yet ready for regular work.

In goal, Luiz Júnior, Arnau Tenas and Diego Conde all start pre-season. The Madrid-born keeper is, on paper, the leading candidate to depart. That file remains open.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo