Maccabi Tel Aviv Prepares for Rishon LeZion Friendly as Injured Players Near Return
Maccabi Tel Aviv faces Maccabi Rishon LeZion in a friendly match before heading to a tournament in Cyprus. T.J. Leaf and Jimmie Clark are expected to be fit for the EuroLeague opener against Villeurbanne on September 24.
While off-court tensions simmer behind the scenes at Maccabi Tel Aviv, the team continues its on-court preparations for the upcoming 2026/27 season. The Yellows will play another friendly match tomorrow (Tuesday) against Maccabi Rishon LeZion, before departing for Cyprus to participate in a preparatory tournament over the weekend.
Injury Updates
Maccabi Tel Aviv currently has three players on its injury list. Gur Lavi is still not fit and is not expected to start the season on the court. Jimmie Clark was injured at the end of the brief training camp in Cyprus, but the team is confident he will be ready for the season opener against ASVEL Villeurbanne in France on September 24. The third player sidelined until recently is T.J. Leaf.
The naturalized forward suffered a shoulder injury in February, and throughout the summer, Maccabi officials remained somewhat pessimistic about his chances of playing at the start of the season. However, Leaf is making rapid progress toward his comeback. Current assessments suggest he will be fully fit to play against Villeurbanne, and potentially even slightly earlier.
Roster Management
Jaylen Hoard and Daniel Theis are expected to play tomorrow against Rishon LeZion. Conversely, veteran guard Iffe Lundberg may receive additional rest. Lundberg played with the Danish national team and trained with them throughout their preparation for the game against Romania. Maccabi staff intends to ease him back into action gradually to prevent unnecessary physical strain.
