Maccabi Petah Tikva Faces Maccabi Haifa With Key Players Injured

Maccabi Petah Tikva will host Maccabi Haifa on Saturday evening in the seventh round of the Israeli Premier League without two of their players, Eder Ratner and Ibrahima Sowe, who are still recovering from injuries. Ratner is expected to return to play in early November, potentially for the team's match against Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

The club announced that prior to the game, they will hold a ceremony honoring the "Diamonds for Life" association, recognizing 22 combat-injured soldiers who will join the team on the field. Additionally, Maccabi Petah Tikva will debut a new third uniform set for the match.

Coach Ziv Arie expressed his focus on the team's performance, stating, "Right now, the opponents are less interesting to us. All games are difficult, and losses are unpleasant. We need to fix things and hope we win." When asked about preventing goals, he admitted, "If I had an answer, we probably wouldn't be conceding. What we'll do tomorrow, we'll keep to ourselves. We will continue to believe in our team."

Player Guy Dezente added, "The staff has prepared us excellently all week, tactically and physically. We've connected, bonded, and learned from our mistakes. We are arriving as prepared as possible and are coming to take three points." The projected starting lineup includes Maor Erlich, Samuel Owusu, Eeluz Yao, Guy Dezente, Eitan Tibi, Aviv Salem, Lior Kasa, Eyal Einbrom, Liran Hazan, Jose Cortes, and Marko Rakonjac.