Íñigo Pérez, the head coach of Villarreal CF, has admitted that his lineup for Monday's game against Real Betis will depend on the fitness of Juan Foyth and Carlos Romero, two regulars in the club's back line who have been carrying muscle discomfort for the past week.
"He's waiting to see how both of them progress," Pérez said, as ABC Deportes has learned, ahead of the matchday five clash at the Estadio de la Cerámica, kicking off at 21:00.
Two absences hitting the defence
Foyth and Romero started and played the full 90 minutes in Villarreal's first three La Liga matches, but both missed the 2-3 home defeat to Deportivo at La Cerámica through muscle discomfort and also sat out Villarreal's opening Champions League group game, a 3-2 loss away to Borussia Dortmund on 8 September.
Without either centre back, Villarreal have now lost three games in a row, with a run of LLLDD across their last five matches, and sit 17th in La Liga on 2 points from a possible 12 after four rounds, with a record of 0 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. The club have scored 6 goals and conceded 8, a goal difference of minus two, and trail leaders Barcelona by 10 points.
Setting up for Real Betis
Real Betis, currently fifth in the table, travel to La Cerámica looking to exploit Villarreal's defensive crisis. If Foyth and Romero are not ready in time, Pérez will need alternatives at the back to contain a side arriving in better form. The club's updated absentee list can be checked on the injuries page.
After the Betis game, there is no let-up: Villarreal travel to face Málaga on Thursday the 17th in matchday six and then host Levante three days later, before the season's first international break. Both fixtures are already listed on the club's fixtures page.
Íñigo Pérez is hoping to get his centre backs back before the shortage at the back deepens a results crisis that has left Villarreal needing points urgently, a situation visible on the standings page.
