Viktoria Plzen manager Martin Hysky has expressed delight following Super Eagles striker Salim Fago Lawal’s recent return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Footynaija.com reports.
Lawal sustained a serious injury during Viktoria Plzen’s Czech 1. Liga clash against Bohemians Praha 1905 in mid-March, just weeks after completing his move from Croatian side Istra 1961. The setback brought a promising start to his career in the Czech Republic to an abrupt halt.
Lawal’s injury ruled him out for the remainder of the 2025/26 season and also forced him to miss Nigeria’s international fixtures at the end of May, including friendly matches against Iran and Jordan, as well as the Unity Cup.
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Having completed his rehabilitation, the 22-year-old has now rejoined his teammates in full training and is expected to use Viktoria Plzen’s pre-season programme to rebuild his match fitness ahead of the new campaign.
Speaking after Lawal’s return, Hysky admitted he was pleased to have the striker back in the squad, insisting the Nigerian still has plenty to offer after an unfortunate end to last season.
“Salim was injured for three months, I’m glad he’s back,” Hysky said, per Euro Fotbal.
“He’ll feel a lot in the final phase. I can see that he’s in great shape, he’s a winning type. He’s also very good in terms of movement.
“He reads the game well, has a great choice of space, he’s not lazy with a step. It was a great shame in the spring that he got injured. He could have continued.”
Lawal only managed nine appearances, scoring twice before suffering the season-ending injury. With his recovery now complete, the Nigerian forward will be hoping to make up for lost time during pre-season and force his way back into Viktoria Plzen’s starting lineup ahead of the new campaign.
