Israeli national soccer team and Tottenham star winger Manor Solomon suffered a torn meniscus during a training session on Tuesday, a complex injury that requires surgery and might sideline him for months.
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Solomon is scheduled to undergo surgery in London, and his recovery is expected to take around four months.
This is a major setback for the Israeli national team, which will have to compete without its biggest star in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Switzerland, Kosovo, Romania and Andorra in October and November.
This marks the second time Solomon has suffered such an injury. Early last season, he tore the meniscus in his left knee during a match for his former club, Fulham, just after his Premier League debut with Liverpool. Consequently, Solomon missed the first few months of the season and returned to full activity only at the start of 2023.
This presents a significant headache for the coaching staff of the Israeli national team, led by coach Alon Hazan. Even before Solomon's injury, they had already lost Celtics forward Liel Abada due to an injury sustained during the final training session ahead of the Romania match last month. Additionally, Dolev Haziza and Stav Lemkin are also sidelined due to injuries and are expected to miss the upcoming games.
With four games remaining in the campaign, Israel currently sits in third place in Group 9, trailing Romania by just one point. Romania is Israel's main rival for the second qualifying spot, with Switzerland expected to secure one of the top two spots. The crucial showdown between Israel and Romania is set to take place at Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium on November 18 and may determine which country earns a spot in Euro 2024 finals.