AEK Athens' basketball team has recorded 11 cases of gastroenteritis within its squad, the club said, as it prepares for two friendlies and a Super Cup semi-final against Olympiacos in the coming weeks.
The outbreak has affected seven players, three coaches and one member of the coaching staff, according to the club. Combined with players already sidelined through injury, AEK now has 11 players unavailable for selection.
Gastroenteritis outbreak linked to Rhodes tournament
The illness spread through the squad following a pre-season tournament AEK took part in on the island of Rhodes, which left what was described as a lasting problem for the club as gastroenteritis cases in the travelling party continued to climb. The total had already reached nine players a day earlier, before rising further to the current figure of 11 cases across players and staff.
AEK Athens is one of the leading basketball clubs in Greece, based in the Nea Filadelfeia area of Athens, and competes alongside its football counterpart under the wider AEK sporting organisation.
Injury list adds to squad concerns
The gastroenteritis cases come on top of an existing injury list that includes Flionis, Brown, Fizell and Williams, all already unavailable to AEK's coaching staff. A further concern has now emerged around Bartley, who is dealing with knee discomfort.
Between the illness and the injuries, AEK is being forced to prepare for its upcoming fixtures with a heavily depleted squad, making the build-up to a demanding stretch of matches considerably more difficult.
Friendlies and Super Cup on the horizon
AEK has two friendly matches scheduled in the coming days, against Cluj on 18 September and against Karditsa on 19 September. The following week brings a bigger test, with the club set to compete in the Super Cup, where it will face Olympiacos in the semi-final.
Olympiacos is one of the most successful clubs in Greek and European basketball, and a semi-final meeting between the two sides represents one of the highest-profile fixtures on the Greek basketball calendar.
Search for a guard before Super Cup
With the squad stretched thin by illness and injury, AEK's management is already active in the transfer market and has intensified efforts to sign a new guard. The club wants any new arrival in place before the Super Cup so the player can help provide solutions in playmaking and scoring.
No timeline or names have been confirmed for a possible signing. AEK will continue preparations for its friendlies against Cluj and Karditsa this week before turning its attention to the Super Cup semi-final against Olympiacos.
