Kiril Despodov resumed training with the PAOK main group after the viral illness that took him out of the squad for the city derby with Iraklis. The Bulgarian winger started training at full speed, but coach Alessio Lishi took him out before the end so as not to overload him unnecessarily.
After the training, the Italian coach expressed hope that Despodov will be in the group for the away game against OFI on October 25 at 8:00 PM. However, his return is still uncertain and will depend on his condition in the coming days.
“There is hope that he will be in the team at the end of the month“, said Lishi about the Bulgarian footballer.The coach made it clear that Despodov will be returned to full training gradually. After completing his participation in the main part of the training, he continued with procedures and massages at the rehabilitation center.
Despodov's last official match is from March 22, 2026. In May, he underwent surgery on his right toe due to an injury that had tormented him for about 10 months.
After the surgical intervention, the national team player underwent rehabilitation and returned to training at the end of September. However, the subsequent viral illness delayed his return again and he missed the derby with Iraklis. His participation against OFI will be decided after further assessment of his physical condition.
Toma Lusche did not participate in the training session as a precautionary measure after suffering a muscle strain in the back of his thigh after the match with Iraklis. His tests are normal and his condition will be monitored daily.
Dimitris Pelkas also remained out of the session, as he continues his recovery. PAOK is working with a limited squad due to the large number of injured players.
In the training session, Alessio Lishi emphasized attacking actions and transitions. The players were divided into two groups, then performed three-on-three exercises without goalkeepers and finished the attacks with a shot. The program ended with a tournament between three teams on a field with three goals.