Behnejad gives Iran injury scare ahead of VNL Week 3
Iranian setter Arshia Behnejad faces a race against time to be fit for Week 3 of the FIVB Men’s Volleyball Nations League after suffering a knee injury during a training session on Friday.
The Iranian squad is in Kladovo, Serbia, ahead of the final week of the preliminary round, which begins on Thursday in Belgrade.
Iran will open its campaign in the Serbian capital with a daunting clash against surprise package Ukraine, which sits fifth in the standings with a 5-3 record. Head coach Roberto Piazza’s men will then face Germany and Slovenia before wrapping up the preliminary phase against Turkey on July 19.
Behnejad has been Piazza’s first-choice setter, and his absence would be a major blow for the Italian coach, who is eager to see his team continue its recent improvement after a difficult start to the tournament.
Iran defeated Cuba 3-1 last time out to snap a four-match losing streak and climb to 14th in the 18-team standings, having won just two of its first eight matches.
Pleased with progress
Piazza, meanwhile, said he has been encouraged by the significant progress his team made in Week 2 despite losing three of its four matches, adding that the training camp in Serbia had provided an ideal opportunity to reflect on the team’s performances and build momentum for the upcoming fixtures.
“Although we had only one victory in the first week, we made significant progress against major teams such as France, the United States, Japan and Cuba in the second week,” Piazza said. “That had a huge impact on the players’ confidence.”
“The most important thing is that the players now believe success is completely in their own hands,” he added. “From the very first day, I tried to create that mentality within the team, and now I can see that they truly believe it. For me, that was the greatest achievement of our camp in Serbia.”
“This week could be a defining moment for us,” Piazza said. “Our first match is against Ukraine, and I’m sure they will be looking to avenge last season’s defeat. Both teams will be fully prepared.”
“It will be a very difficult week, but at the same time it is a great opportunity to prove, just as we did against Japan, France and the United States, that we belong among the world’s top teams,” he said.
“In the end, the outcome of these matches may come down to just one or two points.”