Aleksej Nedeljković misses U18 EuroBasket after knee injury

Aleksej Nedeljković stands on the court for Crvena zvezda.

Aleksej Nedeljković will miss the U18 EuroBasket after suffering a knee injury. The guard was hurt during Serbia's final training session before travelling to Italy.

Red Star confirmed his absence on July 23. Further medical examinations will establish the injury's severity and expected recovery period.

An injury changes Serbia's final preparations

Nedeljković trained with Serbia throughout the closing stage of the national team's preparations. His injury occurred during the final session before the planned departure.

The federation had included him in an eighteen-player preliminary squad for the tournament. That group also contained several players used in the recent warm-up matches.

Serbia now enters the championship without a guard who featured in those preparations. The final tournament roster will contain twelve registered players.

Medical staff began additional knee examinations after the injury. Those checks determine the treatment plan and recovery schedule.

The statement confirmed one immediate consequence: Nedeljković will not play in Italy. His treatment will continue after the medical team assesses the knee.

Two victories over Germany completed the warm-up

Serbia played two preparation games against Germany on July 17 and July 18. Both matches ended with victories for Saša Očokoljić's team.

The first meeting finished 83-78 after a level opening quarter. Serbia scored twenty-five points in each of the final two periods.

Nedeljković scored four points in that opening victory. Vuk Danilović led Serbia with twenty-four points, while Nikola Karalić added sixteen.

Serbia won the second game 82-67 after overcoming an eight-point first-quarter deficit. A 29-15 second period changed the direction of the match.

Nedeljković produced sixteen points in the second victory. He finished as Serbia's leading scorer in that game.

Aleksej Nedeljković dribbles for Crvena zvezda.

Nedeljković later appeared for Red Star's first team

Nedeljković progressed through Red Star's youth system before joining the senior group. He made his first senior appearances during the 2025-26 season.

Those minutes placed him among the young players already used by the first team. The club then secured his longer-term future during the spring.

He signed his first professional contract with Red Star in May. The agreement followed his senior debut and continued work with the youth selection.

His club season therefore included two important steps before the national-team camp. He entered the senior rotation and signed professional terms.

The knee injury interrupts that sequence before the national-team trip. Nedeljković now misses every championship game in Trentino.

Serbia begin against Slovakia in Trento

The U18 EuroBasket runs from July 25 through August 2 in Trentino. Serbia will play its group games in Trento.

Slovakia provide the first opponent on July 25 at 11:00 local time. Turkey and Denmark complete Group B alongside Serbia.

The group schedule continues against Turkey on July 26. Serbia then closes the opening phase against Denmark on July 27.

Sixteen national teams participate across four groups. The competition continues with knockout games after the opening phase.

Serbia's staff will select the available guards from the remaining travelling group. Nedeljković's confirmed withdrawal removes him from every tournament game.

The preliminary group contained eighteen players

The published preliminary list contained eighteen Serbian players. Nedeljković appeared alongside Jovan Bikić, Andrej Bjelić and Vuk Danilović.

The same list included Đorđe Gnjato, Nikola Karalić and Lazar Maksić. Luka Roganović and Luka Živojinović also joined the preparations.

Aleksej Nedeljković drives with the ball during an ABA League game.

Several players received minutes in both victories over Germany. Those games allowed the staff to use different combinations before choosing twelve names.

Nedeljković's sixteen-point second game was his strongest scoring return in that double-header. It came one week before Serbia's tournament opener.

His absence was confirmed before the team left for Italy. Additional examinations now cover treatment and the recovery schedule.

Serbia won the two Germany matches by different margins

The first game remained close through all four quarters. Serbia led 58-54 before winning the final period by one point.

Danilović led the first match with twenty-four points. Karalić followed with sixteen, and Roganović contributed eight.

The second game began with Germany leading 22-14. Serbia answered with twenty-nine points during the following quarter.

A 21-13 third period extended Serbia's advantage. Germany then won the last quarter by one point.

Nedeljković's sixteen points led Serbia in the second meeting. Danilović added thirteen, while Gnjato scored twelve.

Those appearances confirmed his active role before the injury. The final training session then removed him from the tournament squad.

Several Serbia players supported the leading scorers

Živojinović added seven points and seven rebounds in the first German game. Karalić also recorded five steals during that victory.

Bjelić reached eleven points in the second meeting. Gnjato added twelve points and four assists in that match.

Serbia won both games with a different leading scorer. Danilović led the opener before Nedeljković led the second match.

The injury therefore removes a recent double-digit scorer from the travelling group. The remaining selection comes from the same preliminary list.