Ben Shimon Leads Blue-and-White into Nations League Duels vs Belgium, Italy

Upswing in Form Earns Duo Rare Call-Up

Israel manager Alon Hazan has named his 23-man squad for the upcoming crunch Nations League fixtures against Belgium and Italy, with several notable inclusions and omissions.

Uncapped duo Shlomi Azulay and Omer Atzili have been rewarded for their excellent form at club level with maiden call-ups.

Azulay has been in scintillating form for Maccabi Tel Aviv in recent months, scoring 7 goals in his last 10 appearances, while Atzili has also been impressive for Maccabi Haifa, providing 5 assists in his last 6 games.

Experienced Stalwarts Return

There are also recalls for experienced duo Eran Zahavi and Bibras Natcho, who have both been in impressive form for their respective clubs in China and Russia.

Zahavi, Israel's all-time leading goalscorer, has scored 10 goals in 15 appearances for Guangzhou FC this season, while Natcho has been a key player for CSKA Moscow, starting 12 of their 15 league games.

Notable Absentees

However, there are some notable absentees from the squad, with Manor Solomon and Dia Saba both missing out due to injury.

Solomon, who plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, has been struggling with a knee injury, while Saba, who plays for Al Ain in the UAE, has a hamstring problem.

Other Notable Inclusions

Other notable inclusions in the squad include goalkeeper Ofir Marciano, defenders Eli Dasa and Sun Menahem, midfielders Dan Glazer and Liel Abada, and forwards Shon Weissman and Moanes Dabour.

Fixtures and Schedule

Israel will face Belgium in Brussels on 12th November before hosting Italy in Haifa on 15th November.

They currently sit third in Group A2 of the Nations League, level on points with Belgium and 2 points behind leaders Italy.