By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Džanan Musa will miss the upcoming EuroBasket due to health reasons, delivering a significant blow to the Bosnian national team.
The forward shared a heartfelt statement on social media after undergoing abdominal surgery:
“I want to take this opportunity to inform you and the public that, due to health reasons, unfortunately I will not be able to help the guys at the upcoming EuroBasket. This is the first time I’ve faced something like this, and it’s certainly not easy to go through. The medical team is fully aware of all the details. A few days ago, I underwent surgery in Munich, and my recovery will take a few weeks longer than planned. I don’t need to tell you how much it breaks my heart that I won’t be there with the guys, fighting for our Bosnia and Herzegovina. Expectations were high and remain high. I’m confident the team will bear the responsibility as it should. My heart is fully with them, and I am sure there will be many more championships where we will go forward as a united team—a team that gives everything for our homeland,” Musa wrote.
In addition to Musa, the Bosnian roster will be without naturalized American Xavier Castaneda, who has also been forced to withdraw due to injury.
“As many already know, Castaneda joined the national team while still coming back from an injury. At the time, all indications suggested he would be fully ready for the European Championship. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We waited until the last moment, but we were simply forced to make a decision, as he was experiencing pain that prevented him from giving his maximum effort in the upcoming games,” said Bosnia & Herzegovina coach Adis Bećiragić.
In Castaneda’s place, the team has called up a familiar face: John Roberson, a proven foreign player who has worn the Bosnian jersey for years.
“John is a player well known to the rest of the team and someone who will quickly fit into our system. It’s also important to highlight that he’s in good form, having spent the summer training, so we don’t anticipate any issues on that front either,” Bećiragić concluded.