Kevin Lomónaco is still waiting for his official Elche CF debut more than a month after signing. The Argentine centre-back, who arrived on transfer deadline day, has yet to play a competitive minute as manager Martín Anselmi continues to prefer other defensive options.

The team returned from the international break with a goalless draw at home against RC Celta de Vigo, a result that gave them their first point at the Martínez Valero this season. That match, played on 11 October, left Elche 18th in La Liga with six points from eight games. With Federico Redondo suspended, a spot opened in defence that many fans thought would go to Lomónaco. However, Anselmi chose to field Javi Morcillo at centre-back, a decision the coach publicly backed after the game.

The manager's philosophy is clear and he has stated it in press conferences. "Las decisiones dependen del rendimiento semanal y que ninguna posición está garantizada," Anselmi said. Before the Celta match, the Argentine had already made it clear that "todos los futbolistas disponibles estaban preparados para iniciar". The choice of Morcillo, who performed well and helped keep a clean sheet, supports this idea of weekly merit. Lomónaco joined the club without having completed a full pre-season with the squad, so his first weeks focused on individual physical work to catch up. During the three-week break, the defender played in two friendlies, including a 3-0 win against Cartagena, to speed up his adaptation.

Competition at the heart of the defence is fierce. Víctor Chust has become a near-automatic choice for Anselmi. Alongside him, the coach can call upon Pedro Bigas, Matia Barzic and Bambo Diaby, plus the versatility of Morcillo. Lomónaco signed a long-term contract and the club paid a substantial fee to Independiente for his transfer, creating expectations for his future output. The next test for the team is a trip to the Cerámica to face Villarreal, 11th in the table, on 17 October.

With 11 goals scored and 17 conceded, Elche needs to find defensive solidity to climb the table. The form of Fer Niño, the team's top scorer with five goals, is a positive, but the key to moving away from the relegation places will be conceding fewer. Lomónaco's situation is another question mark in a squad searching for stability. His next chance could come at any moment, depending, as his manager said, on the performance he shows in training this week.

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