PAOK is in the final stretch before returning to official competition, with the players returning to training after their last three-day break following the family friendly against PAOK B. Alessio Lisi is now gradually ramping up the intensity, with his sights set on the match against Kalamata at Toumba, where the Double-Headed Eagle will return to competitive action.
The news is particularly positive on the injury front as well. Pantelis Hatzidiakos and Tom Louche have rejoined the regular training schedule, putting behind them the issues that kept them sidelined recently. Hatzidiakos had been struggling with a calf injury, while the French midfielder had been sidelined for about a month due to a muscle injury. Both are now back in full swing, providing the Italian coach with two more options.
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Simon Banza is now also part of the squad; after completing his duties with the Congo national team, he has been training daily in Nea Mesimvria. The forward is becoming more familiar with Lisi’s game plan and expectations, is building chemistry with his new teammates, and is getting closer to his first official appearance in the “black-and-white” jersey.
Meanwhile, the international players will begin joining the team in upcoming training sessions, with Michailidis, Zafeiris, Zivkovic, and Jakic gradually returning to Thessaloniki. Their integration will be managed based on their playing time and the physical toll they endured with their national teams, so that Lisi will soon have the majority of the roster at his disposal again.
The break gave PAOK valuable time to work, but now the pace is picking up. The resumption of play brings Kalamata to Toumba, and the coaching staff’s goal is clear: as many available options as possible and an immediate return to competitive intensity, at a time when the schedule is starting to get busier again.
*photo source: KYPE
