Maccabi Tel Aviv Worried German Center Daniel Theis May Miss Season Start

Maccabi Tel Aviv faces concern as their prominent German center, Daniel Theis, may miss the start of the 2026/27 season due to injury. Theis was excluded from Germany's national team roster for their World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands after sustaining an injury in a recent preparation game against Croatia. Although an MRI scan showed no severe damage requiring major treatment, Theis continues to experience pain and discomfort. Given Germany's strong position to qualify for the World Cup, the decision was made to rest him, with hopes he might return for the upcoming match against Poland.

Maccabi Tel Aviv officials are closely monitoring Theis's condition, with a club source warning that he might not begin the season as planned. The 34-year-old center is expected to arrive in Israel next week to join the team's training camp, but the club now anticipates he may need controlled rest rather than full participation in preseason games. Meanwhile, two other Maccabi players, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Ife Lundberg, are actively participating in their national teams' matches tonight. Hood-Schifino is playing for France against Slovenia in World Cup qualifiers, and Lundberg is competing for Denmark against Romania in EuroBasket 2029 qualifiers, with plans to return to Israel by the weekend.