Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Kiryat Ata in Winner Cup Amid EuroLeague Rival Injuries

Maccabi Tel Aviv will face Ironi Kiryat Ata tonight (Sunday, 19:00) in the Winner Cup quarterfinals in Hadera. The Yellow andians head into the match following a disappointing loss to ASVEL in the EuroLeague opener. Maccabi aims to bounce back while avoiding heavy rotation strain ahead of a demanding EuroLeague double week, featuring games against Beşiktaş in Belgrade on Wednesday and Panathinaikos in Greece on Friday.

Over the course of the evening and night, Maccabi received two injury updates concerning key players from their upcoming European opponents. The Turkish club announced that DaQuan Jeffries, one of their prominent summer signings, will undergo wrist surgery and faces a month and a half on the sidelines. Jeffries played five minutes in Friday's loss to Valencia before sustaining the injury, marking his first European season after six years in the NBA.

Meanwhile, injury-plagued Panathinaikos appears to have added another name to its extensive absentee list. Juancho Hernangómez exited during the Greek Super Cup loss to PAOK after experiencing groin discomfort and is set to undergo an MRI. According to reports in Greece, the Spanish forward is doubtful for the upcoming double week. He had logged 21 minutes, five points, and six rebounds in Thursday's comfortable win over Paris. Notable absentees for PAO at this stage of the season include Kendrick Nunn, Nigel Hayes-Davis, and Kostas Sloukas.