Maccabi Netanya Defender Khvadzhiani Suffers Knee Injury in Training

Saba Khvadzhiani, a Georgian defender for Maccabi Netanya, has suffered another setback due to a knee injury sustained during training on Saturday. This latest injury affects the same knee Khvadzhiani had surgery on for a torn cruciate ligament, which kept him sidelined for over a year. He had only recently returned to the team's squad for the last two games.

Teammates reported that Khvadzhiani felt a sharp pain after an awkward movement. He is scheduled for further medical tests on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury and whether it will require another lengthy layoff. While Khvadzhiani was not initially in coach Roni Levy's plans, he was expected to remain with the team and potentially get playing time until a foreign defender was signed.

Meanwhile, Dolev Haziza was absent from training due to illness. Defender Itay Ben Shabbat is seeking a settlement with the club before his departure, with Hapoel Petah Tikva reportedly interested in signing him. The club had previously preferred other defenders over Ben Shabbat.

Additionally, Brazilian winger Isaac is expected to arrive in Israel on Sunday, having signed a one-year contract with the club. For the upcoming match against Hapoel Ramat Gan on Monday, Bassam Zaaroura is anticipated to return to the starting lineup, replacing Maor Levy. Levy played the last game with an injury and has been instructed to rest, and has not yet returned to training.