Andrija Novakovich registered for Maccabi Haifa ahead of Israeli Premier League opener

Maccabi Haifa announced on Thursday that the registration of striker Andrija Novakovich with the Israel Football Association has been completed. Novakovich, who missed the Toto Cup matches due to injury and foreign player quota restrictions, is now available for Saturday's match against Hapoel Ramat Gan. The move was made possible after Peter Agba was loaned to the Hungarian club Győr. It remains unclear whether manager Barak Bakhar will start Novakovich or include him as a substitute for his debut. Meanwhile, Maccabi Haifa is evaluating the status of Manuel Benson, who suffered a serious injury during the Toto Cup. The club is considering freezing his contract or terminating it, as they actively seek to sign a foreign winger to bolster the squad in his absence.