CAIRO: Abdullah Saied, whose absence contributed to Ismaili’s recent lack of flair, is set to return to full training within a week.
The talented playmaker has been out of action for four months after picking up a serious foot injury last April.
The 25-year-old, who underwent a surgery in Germany, nears full recovery.
"Saied has completed the rehabilitation program. He will return to training after a week," Ismaili doctor Magdi Al-Baz told FilGoal.com on Wednesday.
Ismaili struggled for creativity without the presence of Saied, whose precise passes cause constant troubles for opponents.
His return to action will hand coach Mark Wotte a major boost after the team made a dreadful start to their season.
The Dervishes have an uphill to climb to reach the African Champions League semis after suffering two consecutives losses to Algeria’s JS Kabylie and bitter rivals Ahly in the group stage.
They barely created goalscoring opportunities against Egyptian champions Ahly as strike duo Ndubuisi Godwin and Ahmed Ali were left isolated upfront.
Ismaili will open their Egyptian Premier League campaign against Petrojet on Friday.
