Beitar Jerusalem Prepares for Maccabi Netanya with Jordan Shua’s Fitness in Doubt

Beitar Jerusalem is set to hold its final training session on Friday ahead of its opening match of the 2026/27 Israeli Premier League season against Maccabi Netanya at Bloomfield Stadium. The team’s previous game against Hapoel Tel Aviv was postponed to the following Thursday. A major question mark surrounds the fitness of captain Jordan Shua, who participated in training but continues to experience calf sensitivity. While he is expected to be included in the squad, he will likely not start the match. The coaching staff prefers to avoid risking him and plans to use him sparingly if needed, aiming to have him fully fit for the next game against Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Shon Weismann will return to the squad after recovering from injury, whereas Jordan Cohen will remain absent. Meanwhile, Beitar Jerusalem is awaiting finalization of a deal with Independiente Medellín for Colombian midfielder Alexis Serna. The club is eager to complete the transfer, which depends on agreeing loan fees and a purchase option with Serna’s current team. The coaching staff has monitored many candidates, with Serna standing out as a preferred choice.

The expected starting lineup for the match includes Miguel Silva in goal; Nana Antwi, Brian Carvalho, Luka Gadrani, and Nevo Shado in defense; Boris Ino, Daniel Vorko, Noam Motsha (or Ziv Ben Shimol) in midfield; and Omar Atsili, Eugene Ansa (or Timothy Muzi), and Johnbusco Kalo in attack.