Maccabi Haifa Seeks Foreign Winger After Manuel Benson's Season-Ending Injury
Translated & summarized from Mako by baba
Maccabi Haifa's Manuel Benson will miss the entire 2026/27 season due to a severe knee injury, leading the club to seek a foreign winger replacement. Cedric Don and others may fill in temporarily, while options like Alexei Khotsuliak and Yan Sassa are being considered. The team prepares to start the season against Hapoel Ramat Gan, with no connection between Benson's injury and Andrea Novakovic's registration.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Manuel Benson will miss the 2026/27 season due to a torn ACL and meniscus injury.
- Cedric Don is expected to play Benson's position temporarily, with others also considered.
- Haifa is seeking a foreign winger, evaluating Alexei Khotsuliak and Yan Sassa as options.
- Israeli winger Oz Bilu was considered but the club prefers a foreign signing.
- Haifa's season opener is against Hapoel Ramat Gan this Saturday.
- Andrea Novakovic's registration is unrelated to Benson's injury and pending Agbawa's departure.
Maccabi Haifa faces a significant setback as Manuel Benson will miss the entire 2026/27 season due to a knee injury diagnosed on Tuesday, involving a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus. Benson will be sidelined, prompting the club to explore options for a foreign winger to fill his role. Currently, Cedric Don is expected to take over the position, with Yair Mordechai and Iyad Khalaily also potential candidates for playing time.
The coaching staff, led by Barak Bachar and Lior Rafaelov, is actively searching for a foreign winger to strengthen the squad. One option under consideration is Alexei Khotsuliak, who is currently a free agent. Another Israeli winger, Oz Bilu, was evaluated last summer, but the club is leaning towards signing a foreign player. Brazilian winger Yan Sassa, recently released from Esperance de Tunis, has been offered to Haifa as a potential signing.
Haifa is set to begin their season against Hapoel Ramat Gan this coming Saturday. The club clarified that Benson's injury is unrelated to the registration status of Andrea Novakovic, who is expected to be officially registered once Peter Agbawa's departure is finalized.
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