Maccabi Haifa Seeks New Winger After Manuel Benson's Season-Ending Injury
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Maccabi Haifa's Manuel Benson will miss the 2026/27 season due to a severe knee injury, prompting 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 will start the season against Hapoel Ramat Gan, with no impact on Andrea Novakovic's registration.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Manuel Benson will miss the entire 2026/27 season due to a torn ACL and meniscus.
- Maccabi Haifa plans to freeze Benson's contract and seek a foreign winger replacement.
- Cedric Don is expected to play Benson's position, with Mordechai and Khalaily as alternatives.
- Alexei Khotsuliak and Brazilian Yan Sassa are potential winger signings under review.
- Haifa opens the season 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. 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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