Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv returns to its “home” in Belgrade to host Monaco on Thursday at 9:05 PM (Israel time) as part of Round 29 of the EuroLeague. Oded Kattash and his players aim to maintain their momentum from recent weeks and secure a third consecutive win in the European competition, but they know it will be a tough challenge against the French team, which currently sits in fourth place in the standings.

Maccabi arrives with a depleted roster, as Jasiel Rivero fractured his ankle in the last league game against Afula. The Cuban joins on Jaylen Hoard, who is recovering from a hamstring tear, on the sidelines. John DiBartolomeo also missed the game against Afula due to back pain, but he traveled with the team to Serbia and may play. Rokas Jokubaitis, who recently returned to action in the domestic league after a short absence, is expected to play in the EuroLeague as well.

Monaco arrives at the game in high spirits after a successful week in which they defeated their rival, Paris, twice—by 12 points in the EuroLeague and by no less than 31 points in the domestic league. Under head coach Vassilis Spanoulis, who joined mid-season replacing Sasa Obradovic, the team from the principality holds a 17-11 record and is in the midst of a battle for home-court advantage in the quarterfinals.

“Monaco is in good form and has strengthened with a dominant big man. They are a very talented and athletic team. After the news of Rivero’s injury, we will be very short-handed, especially in our frontcourt, and it will be very challenging. We will need to compensate for the absences and control the rebounds. We will have to use lineups that are a bit different from what we are used to—it won’t be easy.”