Hapoel Be'er Sheva Faces Grueling Schedule Without Key Midfielders

Hapoel Be'er Sheva is set to face a demanding stretch of three matches in just six days, immediately preceding a three-week international break. The challenging period begins on Sunday, following Rosh Hashanah, with an away game against Hapoel Petah Tikva. This is followed by a home match in Romania against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, marking the first fixture of the Europa League. The week concludes on Saturday with another home game against Ironi Kiryat Shmona.

The team will be significantly hampered during this critical phase, particularly for the first two matches, due to the absence of their primary midfield trio. Kings Kangwa has already departed for Panathinaikos, and both Lucas Ventura and Aliel Peretz are unavailable. Peretz is suspended for the matches against Hapoel Petah Tikva and Dinamo Zagreb due to red cards received in previous games against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Sabach, respectively. Ventura is sidelined with an injury.

This means Hapoel Be'er Sheva will likely field a midfield of Niv Yehoshua, Amankwah Forson, and Zahy Ahmed, who are not considered the same caliber as the players who propelled the team to success in recent years. This situation presents a significant professional challenge for the club, especially as they enter this period on the back of a loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv and a draw with Hapoel Haifa.

Sources within Hapoel Be'er Sheva emphasize the need for all players to step up, reminding them of the club's recent qualification for the Europa League and their championship status. "Everyone needs to remember, not long ago we earned our spot in the Europa League. We are champions. There is club pride, and that needs to be brought onto the field," a club representative stated.