Did the short break reset the squad? The first‑team camp ends as Espanyol’s staff swaps the mini‑vacation for hard work. After the heavy loss to Elche on Friday the 18th and back‑to‑back sessions on Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st, Manolo González’s men finally finish six days off. Those days likely cleared minds and bodies after consecutive defeats to Rayo Vallecano and Elche that erased the joy of the earlier win in Pamplona over Osasuna.
Training resumes at 10:30 a.m. Monday on the green at the Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque in Sant Adrià del Besòs, with Málaga on the horizon for the next match. In my view, the elongated pause could sap the team’s rhythm more than if the Elche game had ended in victory. The squad now eyes the long‑awaited XL break’s end, hoping to regain spark before the upcoming clash.
Six days of rest are over; now the work begins. Espanyol will train Monday, hold double sessions on Tuesday (morning and afternoon), continue on Wednesday and Thursday, and play a behind‑closed‑doors friendly against Ipswich Town at the Dani Jarque around 12:00 noon on Friday. Saturday brings another morning session.
One highlight this week is monitoring Javi Puado after his injury. The captain was already spotted on the pitch during the break, and expectations are that he’ll regain full fitness to become another option for Manolo González. He’s been rehabilitating since tearing his right‑knee ACL in January, and his return draws nearer. Can the squad translate that fitness into a strong showing against Ipswich?