Villarreal have been dealt a double injury blow amid their fine run of form.
The Yellow Submarine have been in excellent form of late, winning their last six games across all competitions.
But things are about to get a little more complicated for the Yellow Submarine.
Unai Emery is about to lose four players temporarily due to the almost month-long African Cup of Nations.
Boulaye Dia and Samu Chukwueze, who have been in fine form, will both jet off to join their respective nations, while Serge Aurier and Aissa Mandi will also be unavailable for the time being.
On top of that, Villarreal have lost Francis Coquelin, who has undergone surgery on his Achilles tendon.
And Paco Alcacer, who would be the ideal replacement for Dia, has suffered a tear in his calf.
Villarreal are in action against potential top four rivals Atletico Madrid this weekend, and Emery has his work cut out to deal with the six absences.
