Despite being told he is not in the plans: Joni Naor in the squad for the derby
Maccabi Haifa midfielder may start as a defender against Hapoel Haifa following Pedrao's injury and a defensive shortage. Tsunami is included in the squad, while Lonwijk will watch from the stands (20:30, Sport1).
Maccabi Haifa player Joni Naor will be included tonight in the team's squad for the derby match against Hapoel Haifa (Saturday, 20:30, Sport1). He may even start in the center of the defense alongside Sean Goldberg and Noam Steifman due to a shortage of defensive players.
As previously reported, Naor received notice from sporting director Lior Refaelov that he is not in the club's professional plans. He did not travel to the training camp and was included in a group of players who do not train with the main squad. These players receive all professional support, including a coach, physiotherapists, and medical staff, but do not train with the team.
This list also included Trivante Stewart, who has already been loaned to Turkey, Dolev Haziza, who signed with Maccabi Netanya, as well as players such as Daniel Golani, Peter Agba, Matias Nahuel, and others who were notified that they are not in the professional plans.
Despite this, Naor was called up to the squad tonight due to Pedrao's injury. Following the Brazilian's injury, Barak Bakhar was left with almost no defensive options, as Jelle Bataille, Elad Amir, and Kenny Saief are injured, Golani is not in the plans, and the two new defensive signings, Tsunami and Nigel Lonwijk, have only just signed and cannot yet play a full match. Tsunami will be included in the squad tonight, while Lonwijk will watch the game from the stands.
