PETALING JAYA: Pahang striker Lucas Espindola (pic) is looking forward to seeing action as he has returned to training after suffering a knee injury in early March.
The 32-year-old Brazilian had to undergo a recovery process of at least one month but is now recovering, and he has already started training with the team last Tuesday.
The Elephants are indeed looking forward to his return as they need him to partner Kpah Sherman upfront.
However, Espindola is not going to push himself too hard and would be satisfied if Fandi gave him the opportunity to play even for a few minutes once the league resumes on March 31.
“Yes, I have returned to training and I feel better than before, where the muscles in my knee are also getting stronger,” he said.
“Now I feel more confident and my movements are improving, so hopefully, everything will go smoothly for the next match.
“The pain is gone, it’s just that I don’t want to push myself too hard. So, it’s good enough if the coach gives me a chance to play for only 20 to 30 minutes.
“I’ll leave it to him to decide. My focus is to stay fit so that I can get back to normal.”
Speaking about his teammate Sherman, who is now the leading man in the attack, Espindola is delighted with his form.
And despite struggling without him, Espindola reckons Pahang have fought brilliantly to remain unbeaten in five matches so far.
“I worked hard enough in the beginning before the injury, and now seeing that my friends are also doing an excellent job, I feel proud.
“In the beginning, everyone expected me and Kpah (Sherman) to be a good pair, but when I was injured, the others also performed well.
“But I didn’t lose hope, and when I went back to training, the other friends kept encouraging me to regain my self-confidence,” he added.
