Tarik Biberovic's injury isn't serious, head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said. Scottie Wilbekin will not return this season, he declared, while also providing updates on Onuralp Bitim and Luka Samanic's situations.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul arrived in Kaunas without three players already. One more player - Tarik Biberovic - left the game early with an ankle injury.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
23
|
| Nigel Hayes-Davis | |
| Points | 18 |
| Accuracy | 6-16 |
| Rebounds | 11 |
| Assists | 0 |
Biberovic seems to have stepped on Sylvain Francisco's foot while trying to defend him and was helped off the court. However, it seems that the Turkish forward managed to avoid serious injury.
"I think there's nothing serious. I don't know if he will play on Sunday. They say it's nothing serious. I don't know if I can talk here about it, but they say it's nothing serious," Fenerbahce's head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius said in the post-game press conference.
On the other hand, Scottie Wilbekin, who tore his ACL early in the season, is not expected to return this season, the Lithuanian specialist revealed.
"I don't think so. They don't allow players with torn ACLs to return as quickly as Kaukenas once returned after four months. But Kaukenas is a person from another planet," Jasikevicius said, mentioning the former Montepaschi Siena guard.
"As far as I understand, doctors do not allow a return for at least a year, it's not recommended," Saras added.
As the EuroLeague game between Fenerbahce and Zalgiris Kaunas was going on, the candidate list for the Turkish national team was announced. Onuralp Bitim, who was signed by Fenerbahce but loaned to FC Bayern Munich, was the only player to be included in the roster.
Asked about the decision not to bring in the forward despite having multiple players out with injuries, Jasikevicius colorfully described the current situation Fenerbahce are in.
"In our mind, he's the best Turk in the market. Local players are, of course, very important. The vision was that we could not try to integrate more players anymore. We're feeling like it's in the middle of August. I'm talking with the players using a language they don't understand, and I don't understand what they say back," he said. "We're trying to survive moving forward.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul / Schedule
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
FC Bayern Munich
Zalgiris Kaunas
Virtus Segafredo Bologna"I don't know. We've gathered players with good characters, they're fighting, they're trying. Like I've said numerous times, they've come from different spheres - from Maccabi, two from Milan. We have two from the NBA. At times, they're looking at me like...
"Nobody in the EuroLeague is interested in these explanations, we have to collect wins and so on. Of course, it's kind of OK right now. We'd like the game to be a bit better, and I know we aren't going to get it because we don't have the players."
Another uncertainty regarding the Fenerbahce roster is Luka Samanic. The Croatian forward left the club for personal reasons, terminating the contract with the club.
Samanic has since been included in the extended list of candidates for the Croatian national team for the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, marking his possible return to the court.
He might still play for Fenerbahce, the head coach says.
"As far as I know, [GM] Derya [Yannier] said that we have the so-called first right of refusal," Jasikevicius said, noting that Fenerbahce will be the first club to have the possibility to acquire him.
"If we needed to integrate one more player, I'd rather go play myself," Saras said with a laugh.
