Team News: Avraham Rikan starts for Maccabi Tel Aviv against Basel

Summer signing Avraham Rikan will start for Maccabi Tel Aviv as they take on Basel in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at St Jakob's Park.

Rikan has spent the last two seasons with FC Zurich, as part of the team which beat Basel in the 2014 Swiss Cup Final.

Maccabi coach Slavisa Jokanovic also fields ex-Chelsea and West Ham United defender Tal Ben Haim in his backline.

Meanwhile, Basel manager Urs Fischer has opted for teenage forward Breel Embolo, rumoured to be a target for Tottenham Hotspur, in attack against the Israeli side.

Captain Mathias Delgado also plays in midfield, alongside Icelandic international Birkir Bjarnason.

Basel: Vaclik, Lang, Suchy, Safari, Hoegh, Zuffi, Bjarnason, Delgado, Elneny, Janko, Embolo

Maccabi Tel Aviv: Juan Pablo, Shpungin, Tibi, Ben Harush, Ben Haim I, Alberman, Zahavi, Rikan, Igiebor, Ben Basat, Ben Haim II