Tetey trains, and suddenly the injury picture shifts
Four first-team players out. Two deadline-day signings in. One striker back in individual training after a hospital stay. This is Panathinaikos on the eve of their Conference League tie against CSKA 1948, and the mood has shifted faster than anyone expected.
Tetey resumed individual work this week and is not ruled out of the squad travelling to Sofia (3). Infectious mononucleosis is a draining condition, not the kind you shake off in a few days, so seeing him back on the grass this soon is a surprise. Nistrup will be cautious, but having the 25-year-old forward available in any capacity changes the look of the bench. A month ago, the only question around Tetey was when he would return. Now it is whether he can give the team 20 minutes in Bulgaria.
The market response was fast, and it had to be
The injury list is brutal. Ingason, cruciate ligament. Kalabria, meniscus. Pantelidis, fibula fracture, six to seven months out. That is three starters from last season's core, plus Tetey's illness, all before the first competitive European fixture.
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The club reacted. Livai Garcia arrived on loan from Spartak Moscow with a purchase option, and Desers was signed and registered in time for the UEFA squad deadline. Both are eligible for the second leg. This is not tinkering at the edges, it is a direct answer to a crisis. The squad that beat Paks on aggregate was held together with tape. The one travelling to Sofia has options.
Paks told us what this group is
The aggregate win over the Hungarian side was scrappy, but that is the point. A patched-up defence, a midfield missing rhythm, no Tetey, and Panathinaikos still found a way through two legs. That resilience is real, and it travels. CSKA 1948 are not a side that will roll over, but this squad has already shown it knows how to suffer and survive.
Nistrup now has a tactical decision that did not exist two weeks ago. Garcia and Desers bring pace and directness. Does he start them and set the tone early, or hold them back as second-half game-changers? The answer probably depends on Tetey. If he is fit enough for half an hour, the bench becomes a weapon.
The Conference League playoff is the immediate target, but the broader picture matters too. Panathinaikos finished last season winless in four against Olympiacos and AEK, drew at home to PAOK, and looked short of depth in the moments that mattered. The transfer window is not closed. The club has already shown it will move when needed. One more smart addition before the league starts could turn a thin squad into a serious one.
First, Sofia. Tetey might be on the teamsheet. That alone is a win this week.
