Israel National Football Team Finalizes Lineup for Nations League Opener

The Israel national football team is preparing for its Nations League opener against Austria on Thursday evening, with coach Ran Ben Shimon having largely decided on the starting lineup. The match will be played in front of a full stadium in Linz. Daniel Peretz is set to start in goal, with Roy Revivo and Guy Mizrahi as the fullbacks and Nikita Stoyanov and Raz Shlomo in central defense. The midfield will feature Dor Peretz and Eliel Peretz alongside Oscar Gloukh, and the attack will be led by Manor Solomon, Anan Khalaili, and Sayed Abu Farhi.

With four matches scheduled within ten days, significant rotation is expected. Dor Turgeman, who is arriving from the United States on Thursday and will have only one training session before the Austria game, is anticipated to start against Ireland on Sunday in Debrecen. Gabi Kanyukovsky will miss the match due to his brother's wedding, and Eitan Azoulay, who is getting married himself, will be absent for the first two games.

Austria faces its own challenges, with Konrad Laimer ruled out due to a leg injury sustained in Bayern Munich training. The Austrian Football Association confirmed he will miss their first two matches against Israel and Kosovo. Laimer was expected to captain the team and joins David Alaba, Christoph Baumgartner, and Marcel Sabitzer, who is taking a break from international duty, on the sidelines.

The Nations League group stage runs from September to November, with each team playing opponents home and away. The group winner will be promoted to League A, and the last-place team will be relegated to League C. The second-place team will compete in a playoff for promotion, and the third-place team will play in a playoff to avoid relegation. Israel's schedule includes a match against Ireland on Sunday, followed by Kosovo next Thursday (October 1st), and another game against Ireland on October 4th.