The setter of Lokomotiv Novosibirsk and the Bulgarian national team, Simeon Nikolov, is feeling significantly better and has a real chance to play in the third match of the bronze medal series against Zenit Saint Petersburg. This became clear after a conversation withvolleyweek.bgVladimir Nikolov.
Initial concerns about the young setter's condition were related to inconclusive results from the first MRI, which was not of sufficient quality. Subsequently, a second examination was performed, which provided a clearer picture, and the news regarding his condition is now significantly more optimistic.
'Moni feels much better. The chances of him playing tomorrow are 50/50,' commented Vladimir Nikolov.
Further confirmation of his improved condition came from a video published on Lokomotiv Novosibirsk's official Telegram channel on the occasion of libero Sergey Melkozyorov's birthday. The footage shows Nikolov with his teammates, dressed for training and in good condition, with the session most likely conducted under a specific regimen for him, given his recovery from the injury.
Decisive Clash for Bronze
The bronze medal series between Lokomotiv Novosibirsk and Zenit Saint Petersburg is tied at 1:1, after the two teams exchanged victories in the first two matches in Saint Petersburg. The decisive clashes move to Novosibirsk, where the series could conclude on April 28th or lead to another match in Saint Petersburg.
In the first match, Lokomotiv asserted their dominance with a 0:3 (28:30, 25:27, 19:25) victory, while in the second match, Zenit responded with a dramatic comeback – 3:2 (20:25, 21:25, 25:18, 25:18, 15:12), after Moni Nikolov left in the third set due to injury.
Nikolov's Busy Schedule
After the series concludes, Simeon Nikolov is set to participate in the Russian Cup tournament, which ends on May 17th.
The very next day – May 18th – the setter returns to Bulgaria and joins the national team's training camp in Samokov directly.
This is followed by participation in the friendly tournament 'Silesia Cup' in Poland (May 20-23), after which the player will be given a short one-week break.
After this period, Nikolov will rejoin the national team and travel to Argentina for a series of exhibition matches, which are part of the preparation for the Nations League.
A Look at VNL
After the test matches in South America, Bulgaria awaits the first tournament of the Volleyball Nations League, which will take place in Brazil.
The demanding schedule places serious requirements on the young setter's physical condition, but for now, the most important news remains that his injury is not as serious as it initially appeared, and his return to the court could happen as early as the next match.
