Villarreal count on returns as Freeman and Canadians race Bernabéu clock | OneFootball

Villarreal are phasing back their internationals ahead of their LaLiga return after a long break. According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, 12 first-team players were away and some will not be free until roughly three days before the game.

Logan Costa has already finished with Cape Verde, completing his window on Tuesday 29 September against Rwanda. Carlos Maciá played 45 minutes for Spain Under-20 against Mexico, so both can now join Iñigo Pérez’s preparations.

Nicolas Pepe is next, with Ivory Coast facing Cameroon in Abidjan on Saturday 3 October at 21.00. He should then return from Africa with most of the week to train.

Sunday 4 brings three more. Pape Gueye meets Comoros in Marseille at 15.00, a convenient location for the midfielder. Renato Veiga plays for Portugal against Norway in Porto at 20.45, while Ilias Akhomach closes with Morocco against Ghana in Tangier at 21.00, and the trio should rejoin early in the week.

Georges Mikautadze is set to finish on Monday 5 when Georgia face Northern Ireland in Belfast at 20.45, pointing to a Tuesday return.

Santiago Mouriño faces a longer haul. Uruguay end their Asian tour against India in Kolkata on Tuesday 6 October at 16.00 Spanish peninsular time.

Across the Atlantic, Alex Freeman with the United States and Nathan Saliba, Tajon Buchanan and Tani Oluwaseyi with Canada will be last to wrap up. The United States face Canada in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday 6 at 19.00 local time, which is 02.00 on Wednesday 7 in Spain, so the match finishes around 04.00. Their arrivals are therefore likely on Thursday, leaving the tightest turnaround before Saturday 10 October at 21.00 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo

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