Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published Monday, February 02, 2026, 5:16 p.m. / Updated Monday, February 02, 2026, 5:16 p.m.
For more than two months, since November 22, UTA could no longer count on one of its most important players, injured in the 17th round, when he had to leave the field after only 7 minutes.
Then, after the game lost at home with U Cluj (0-2), the diagnosis was cruel for the Cypriot international Marinos Tzionis (24 years old): torn tendon in the left ankle.
It came completely redone and ready
He made a special recovery in the United States (he played in Kansas City in 2022-2024), from where he returned completely restored and prepared. And even if he missed the winter camp and joined the team led by Adrian Mihalcea only 10 days ago, he can be counted on. And it will appear, for the first time in 2026, on the game sheet, for Wednesday's game, with CFR Cluj.
An extremely important match for the people of Arada, who after the last results have been sweeping between the last play-off place and the first play-out position. It's just that the Cluj players also come with big ambitions, after the series of 5 victories in a row, and they want to continue the marathon of hope, to catch the Top 6 at the end of the regular season.
Most likely, Tzionis, the second highest rated player in UTA's squad, with a market value of 900,000 euros (the first is Valentin Costache with 1,000,000 euros) will be a reserve, with a good chance of ticking off the return to the pitch. The Cyprus international has scored one goal and provided two assists this season.
The top scorer also returns
Another good news for Adrian Mihalcea is that he will be among the starters again, for the confrontation with CFR Cluj, including Dmytro Pospielov (34 years old), one of the team's top scorers, with 3 successes, all from action. He was absent in the previous round, in the short victory in Mioveni, against FC Argeș (1-0), being suspended.
He received two warnings, in round 23, when UTA were defeated in their own fiefdom, 1-2 with Rapid. The main scorer of the team, Valentin Costache (8 goals), will also be on the field in the battle with Daniel Pancu's students
