Villarreal coach Inigo Perez says his players must overcome their fear of Real Madrid and show their ability at the Bernabeu, where Buchanan will miss the match with a minor muscle injury.
Francis Coquelin and Juan Foyth have trained fully in recent weeks and are available, but Perez said the club does not yet know how long Buchanan will be sidelined.
“He is very committed and will work hard to return as soon as possible,” said Perez, who used the international break to reassess Villarreal’s opening matches and work with the academy players who remained at the club.
More than 11 youngsters were called into training, while Perez also spoke with academy coaches. Carlos Macia and Diatta, both involved regularly during pre-season, are regarded as first-team players but remain in a period of mental and physical development.
Perez said the break had given Villarreal time to refine their approach rather than abandon it.
“We had some games where our overall performance was excellent, but we couldn’t turn those performances into favourable results,” he said. “There is no need to change our fundamental philosophy; we need to improve some details.”
He added that he had recognised a need to give players clearer explanations in certain situations, although he believes they are comfortable with the team’s current style.
Villarreal will face Real Madrid before turning their attention to Napoli in the Champions League, but Perez said he was not considering rotation yet.
“The only match I’m thinking about is Real Madrid,” he said. “We know a victory can move the team forward, so we will first see what happens in Madrid and then consider how to deal with Napoli.”
Perez expects Villarreal to maintain an aggressive approach. His experience, he said, suggested teams that failed to press high in such matches usually struggled to produce ideal results.
He believes Real Madrid will attempt to exploit the space behind Villarreal’s defensive line, while also waiting for mistakes that can trigger attacks. Previous Real Madrid matches at the Metropolitano and against Dortmund had offered useful tactical reference points, although Perez stressed that the individual quality of their players is extremely difficult to contain.
“Real Madrid are constantly under pressure from the media and public opinion, so their performances can fluctuate,” he said. “But these players have the mentality to deal with external distractions, and I don’t believe those issues will affect them.”
The Villarreal manager said the Bernabeu was an excellent platform for his side, despite the intensity of the challenge.
“We must acknowledge the opponent’s strength, but we also have to show courage and demonstrate what we can do,” he said.
He added that effective pressing would depend on emotional conviction as much as tactics: the coach must believe in the plan and persuade players to move forward rather than continually retreat.
