Aston Villa will take on Elche CF in a friendly at Pinatar Arena on Friday, 27 March, with kick-off scheduled for 11.30am.
Both sides are using the FIFA international break to fine-tune preparations for the decisive stretch of the season. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have chosen the Costa Cálida as their training base and will visit San Pedro del Pinatar for the first time as part of their mid-season programme.
Villa arrive in Murcia still competing on the European stage after knocking out Lille last week, and Emery will use the match to keep his squad sharp ahead of the run-in in both the Europa League and the Premier League.
The Birmingham club are enjoying another strong spell and boast a squad featuring well-known names such as Pau Torres, Harvey Elliott, Emiliano Buendía and Jadon Sancho.
Elche, meanwhile, go into the game in positive spirits after picking up three points against Mallorca last weekend. For Eder Sarabia’s side, the fixture offers another valuable test against top-level opposition as they continue their own preparations for the closing phase of the campaign.
The Alicante club are no strangers to Pinatar Arena, where they regularly play most of their summer pre-season friendlies.
For Emery, the visit also marks a return to San Pedro del Pinatar, having previously trained there with both Sevilla and Villarreal. The former Spain international coach currently has Aston Villa sitting fourth in the Premier League and through to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Tickets for the match are already on sale through Pinatar Arena’s online ticket platform.
