Maccabi Haifa Seeks New Winger After Manuel Benson's Season-Ending Injury
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. The club plans to freeze Benson's contract and is actively searching for a foreign winger to fill his position. Currently, Cedric Don is expected to take over the role, with Yair Mordechai and Iyad Khalaily also potential candidates for playing time.
The coaching staff, led by Barak Bachar and Lior Rafaelov, is exploring options to strengthen the squad on the right wing. One possibility under consideration is Alexei Khotsuliak, who remains a free agent. Another Israeli option, Oz Bilu, was evaluated last summer, but the club leans toward signing a foreign player. Brazilian winger Yan Sassa, recently released from Esperance de Tunis, has been proposed to Haifa.
Haifa is set to open 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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