Hapoel Petah Tikva Faces Injury Woes and Transfer Uncertainty

Hapoel Petah Tikva is concerned following a brutal tackle on striker Franck Ribelin, which occurred during their loss to Maccabi Haifa. Ribelin is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday after experiencing significant pain and difficulty walking on his injured knee, leading to fears of a ligament tear. Club officials expressed disbelief that the foul did not result in a red card.

Coach Omer Peretz acknowledged the team's need for reinforcements, especially after the sale of Chipiunga Songo, which generated 700,000 euros. The club is pursuing midfielder Yoni Stoyanov, who is also a target for Maccabi Petah Tikva but reportedly prefers Hapoel. Alona Barkat is willing to loan Stoyanov without a transfer fee, provided Hapoel assumes his full contract, which includes a net salary of approximately 32,000 shekels per month plus potential bonuses.

Meanwhile, Hamido Keita is set to sign on Sunday and is expected to fill the void left by Songo. The team's decision to start Diego Arroio, who was reportedly out of shape, over Roey David surprised some players. David, who came on as a substitute and performed well, might return to the starting lineup, as could Shavit Mazal.

Guy Badash was again not included in the lineup, and with the current three-defender formation, he is not expected to receive significant playing time.