Returning players set to give Olympiacos 2020 boost

Olympiacos are set to receive a timely boost as they head into a busy end of 2019. That is because some key personnel are primed to return to action.

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The trio of important stars are comprised of Lazaros Christodoulopoulos, Pape Abou Cisse, and Kostas Fortounis. ACL injuries have ruled out Christodoulopoulos and Fortounis since last February and July, respectively. The news on Lazaros is welcomed by all at the club as after many setbacks the 32-year-old is finally ready to take the pitch once again. The ACL injury aside, Christodoulopoulos had suffered from a series of muscle injuries that served to delay his return. Having trained with the first team for the past ten days, it now appears that the player is up for selection with the derby against PAOK on December 1st as the new target date.

Fortounis was not expected to wear the Erythrolefko jersey until well into 2020. However, his recovery has been progressing at a rapid pace and he is expected to begin full training as early as December with a return slated for a month later in official capacity. That timeline would have been seen as aggressive when he suffered his knee injury back in July, but such has been the positive state of his rehabilitation that it would be no surprise to see Fortounis playing again just as 2020 begins.

Christodoulopoulos and Fortounis returning would reinforce the attacking ranks at the club and offer some real competition for places in the starting eleven. The same would occur at the defensive end with Cisse on track to come back. The 24-year-old has been out since September with an infection of his respiratory tract which at one point required a 17-day hospital stay. The Senegalese center-back has endured a lengthy recovery from that scare, but has overcome the problem. He has trained with the club all through the international break and the word is that he too is close to being available.

Manager Pedro Martins would have a welcome headache with the return of these three stars. Olympiacos remain top of the league and while they maintain slim hopes of progressing in the Champions’ League, there is a viable path to the Europa League for the Piraeus side. The return of this important trio would provide massive support to the club’s domestic ambitions and could potentially help with a run in Europe if a Europa League spot is eventually clinched.

by George Tsitsonis

Image Source: sportime.gr

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