Ishak’s painless return

Ishak has had health issues since the January winter training camp in Belek. In Turkey, he was forced to train individually and appeared in only two out of the four sparring matches in Belek – against Bandirmaspor (1:0) and Shakhtar Donetsk (1:1) – for short periods of time. In the latter game, the Swedish striker was substituted after 13 minutes and limped as he left the pitch. Ishak reappeared on the pitch in the second league game after the winter break, against Zagłębie Lubin (0:0). The Swede lasted 74 minutes but after the game, it was revealed that he wouldn’t be fit to play for another few weeks as the pain returned. It wasn’t until the most recent league clash with Piast Gliwice (0:0) that the doctors gave him a green light to compete again.

“I had been training with the rest of the team for a week prior to the match against Piast and everyone was well aware that these few days would be crucial for me to get back into good form. When it comes to physical preparations, I am not yet back at my best after the couple of weeks that I was out, however, with every next game, my endurance should improve,” reassured Ishak.

What’s most important is that after the 74 minutes spent on the pitch in Lech’s most recent game, the Swede isn’t in pain anymore. “I felt very good on the field. It’s been a long time since I last ran without pain nor discomfort, hence it was a great feeling. Of course, by the end of the match, I was slightly tired but it was because of how long I was out, which is normal. I am very glad to be back,” emphasised the Swede.

“I had a couple of goal-scoring opportunities in the match against Piast. With the header, I failed to jump high enough to redirect the ball into the back of the net. I also tried scoring with my left leg and despite the fact that it wasn’t an easy ball, it was a decent shot on target. However, the goalkeeper was having a great day and managed to stop my attempt,” analysed the 27-year-old.

In Lech’s recent league clash, Ishak replaced Aron Johannsson who had been positioned in the offence during the Swede’s absence. Prior to the game against Piast, the American player had been struggling with a minor injury. “I had the chance to watch Aron play in the previous games and he looked really well. He is capable of playing as a no. 10 and no. 9. He knows how to position himself in the penalty area, knows when to run at the ball, and he is great at finishing off an offensive attempt,” highlighted the Swedish striker. Is it possible that we are going to see the two players alongside each other on the pitch soon? “We have practised such a formation during the training sessions and it seemed to work well but of course, it’s all up to the coach,” spoke Ishak.