Partizan NIS Belgrade's return to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague will be complicated by the long-term absence of two key players, head coach Zeljko Obradovic has indicated.
Alen Smailagic, a 22-year-old big man who averaged 7.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 7DAYS EuroCup play last season, will not make his EuroLeague debut yet due to a hamstring injury suffered during the preseason.
Aleksa Avramovic, a 28-year-old point guard who put up 7.8 points and 2.4 assists last season in the EuroCup, hurt his hand while training with the Serbian national team. He, too, must delay his EuroLeague debut.
Both players may miss much of the rest of 2022, Obradovic said.
"Smailagic and Avramovic will hardly be ready to play until the middle of December," Obradovic said on the Arena Sport show.