Matan Baltaksa took a full, unrestricted training session on Sunday, the clearest sign yet that Hapoel Beer Sheva will have their first-choice centre-back available for Wednesday's Champions League second qualifying round return leg against Víkingur Reykjavík.
Baltaksa was ruled out of the first leg in Iceland after taking a knock to the head in the final training session before the game, with the club's medical staff erring on the side of caution given the concussion protocols now standard across European football.
His absence was keenly felt. Beer Sheva's back line looked short of its usual composure in Reykjavík, and Víkingur snatched a stoppage-time winner to complete a 2-1 victory that leaves the Israeli champions needing to overturn the aggregate deficit in the second leg.
According to ONE, Baltaksa has progressed steadily through his return-to-play process over the past week, working his way from individual rehabilitation drills back into full contact training with the group.
The 30-year-old, who joined Beer Sheva from Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024 and has since become a regular for the Israel national team, is now expected to be fit for selection unless there is an unforeseen setback before kickoff.
Manager Ran Kozhuch had already shown faith in the squad's depth by starting the game in Iceland without his usual centre-back, but getting Baltaksa's ball-playing range and aerial presence back at the heart of defence will be a significant boost for a side that must now attack a two-goal swing.
As with all of Beer Sheva's continental fixtures since the security-driven relocation of Israeli clubs' home European games, the return leg will not be played at Turner Stadium. The tie shifts instead to Szombathely in Hungary, the venue Beer Sheva have been using as their designated home ground in this season's competition.
The squad is due to fly out to Hungary on Monday to train and prepare on-site before Wednesday's game, giving Baltaksa a final block of sessions to prove his fitness to the coaching staff.
Beer Sheva have never faced Víkingur before this tie, and the Icelandic champions arrive full of confidence after seeing off Győri ETO of Hungary in the previous round. A first-leg deficit of this size is not insurmountable, but it leaves Kozhuch's side with little margin for error at the back — precisely the department Baltaksa's return is designed to shore up.
