Rafa Mir back in the fold and hungry to repay Elche's faith
After five weeks on the sidelines, the striker returns to action just in time for Elche's challenging trip to San Mamés to face Athletic Club.
Back in business and ready to bang ‘em in for the Franjiverdes after a frustrating spell on the treatment table.
The comeback trail
Rafa Mir is finally fit and firing again after missing five weeks through injury, and the timing couldn’t be better as Elche prepare for a proper test away at Athletic Club’s intimidating San Mamés stadium.
The striker admitted it’s been a challenging period on the sidelines: “I’m happy to be back. It’s been five really tough weeks.” Learning from past mistakes, Mir took a more cautious approach this time around, having suffered a setback last season at Valencia by rushing his recovery.
“We wanted to be more careful this time. Injuries never come at a good moment, but now I’m available for the manager,” he explained.
Goals on the agenda
The former Wolves man is crystal clear about how he plans to repay the support he’s received from the Elche faithful – by doing what he does best.
“I need to return that affection with goals and victories,” Mir stated with determination, insisting the dressing room is fully committed despite results not always going their way.
“The dressing room is working at maximum capacity. We prepare for matches with complete dedication. We haven’t always been able to control the result, but we’ll keep pushing for those victories to come.”
Away day blues
Elche are still chasing their first away win of the season, though Mir isn’t losing sleep over it:
- “We’re producing more good football than points”
- “We’re calm and confident in what we’re doing”
- “The approach is correct”
Looking ahead to the Athletic Club challenge, Mir expects a proper battle: “It’s going to be an intense match, against a great team with massive support.” He called for his teammates to channel the spirit of their last visit to San Mamés.
Transfer talk brushed aside
With the transfer window wide open, Mir was having none of the speculation about his future. “When you perform well, options appear, but we’re not even considering them,” he insisted, before delivering the money quote that’ll have Elche supporters buzzing:
“Elche has given me a lot and I want to give back. I’m very happy here. We’ll analyze the future when the time comes.”
The striker also praised new teammate Lucas Cepeda, who he says has integrated perfectly into the squad and will contribute significantly.