Harvey Elliott failed to make the squad as Valencia beat Alaves 1-0, with the Liverpool loanee having played just 64 minutes of La Liga football since joining on a season-long loan deal
Harvey Elliott
Harvey Elliott did not feature in Valencia's most recent match(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
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Valencia caretaker head coach Oscar Sanchez has explained why teenager Aaron Mayol started ahead of Harvey Elliott in their La Liga match against Alaves. The midfielder on loan from Liverpool remained an unused substitute in his new club's first match since deciding to terminate the contract of coach Carlos Corberan.
Elliott, 23, had featured as a substitute in his first two matches since joining the Spanish club on transfer deadline day. Sanchez made five changes for his first match in charge.
Mayol came in from the start to make his senior debut. Sanchez has worked with him in their academy.
Speaking after the match about his selection decisions, the caretaker coach said: "His performance is what leads me to put him on - they're his capabilities. I know him well.
"There was not much to say to him. I told him: 'You know what I want, come in, enjoy, compete, your teammates are going to help you.' Now we have to be patient; we have to give it continuity. He has to continue with the desire to improve that he has."
Teammates Guido Rodriguez and Javi Guerra sang the player's praises afterwards. "Congratulations to him, he did very well, and it was not easy at all," the former said.
"All the homegrown players who come up and help us have to have peace of mind, the responsibility lies with those of us who are older, they have to enjoy themselves". Guerra shared a similar sentiment.
"The people who go up always have to be there to help and to show that they have the level to play in the first team," he said. "I'm very happy for him, he's fulfilled a very nice dream, and he continues to make an effort."
Elliott must now pull out all the stops to impress Sanchez in training if he harbours any hopes of displacing Mayol in Valencia's starting XI. The midfielder is attempting to resurrect his career following a torrid loan stint at Aston Villa last term.
Despite collecting a Europa League winner's medal, Elliott managed a mere four Premier League outings after being consistently overlooked by manager Unai Emery. Elliott returned to Anfield during the summer, and there was initial uncertainty over whether he would feature in Andoni Iraola's plans for this campaign.
However, he ultimately moved to Valencia on deadline day, with no clause or requirement to make the switch permanent. "I wanted the opportunity to come here, play regularly and experience a different league," said Elliott following the completion of his move.
"I'm very grateful to Valencia for giving me that opportunity. I feel ready to get started, but ultimately, it's down to the coach whether he wants to put me in."
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Matters have not proceeded as hoped since that arrangement was finalised. Valencia suffered a 5-0 thrashing by Barcelona on his debut before slipping to a 1-0 defeat against Sevilla in his second outing.
The situation worsened when Corberan and Valencia's chief executive of football, Ron Gourlay, were dismissed following a disappointing start to the season. That means the figures who recruited Elliott to Valencia are no longer with the club.
Elliott must now prove himself to a new manager, Sanchez, to secure first-team opportunities. It seems he hasn't quite managed that yet, failing to even feature from the bench during the victory over Alaves, but the selection of Mayol is telling. If Elliott can excel in training, he might yet secure his opportunity to shine in Spain.