It is a huge boost for Plymouth Argyle to have Ibrahim Cissoko fit again after a long-term hamstring injury, first team coach Kevin Nancekivell has declared.

The Dutch under-21 international winger returned to action after a two-and-a-half-month absence as a 75th minute substitute for Bali Mumba in the New Year's Day 2-2 draw with Bristol City at Home Park.

Cissoko had an excellent start to his season-long loan from French Ligue 1 club Toulouse as he produced some exciting performances for the Pilgrims but his injury in October put a stop to that.

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Argyle's results took a massive turn for the worse while Cissoko was sidelined and he got a great ovation from the Green Army when he came off the bench against City.

The hope will be that he can recapture the same sort of form he showed earlier in the campaign and help the bottom-of-the-table Pilgrims pick up the points they need to start climbing out of relegation trouble.

Nancekivell said: "He will give us a massive lift. You can see by the reception he got the excitement that Ibi brings when he comes onto the pitch.

"He's not up to match speed. He has been out for quite a while. He has trained the last week or so but he hasn't played so he's not match fit but he's going to get there very quickly.

"He will be working really hard now every day on the grass and it's a huge boost to us to have someone like that either on the bench or ready to start."

Cissoko is again expected to be a substitute for Argyle when they take on 19th-placed Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium tomorrow. The Potters have this week appointed former Coventry City boss Mark Robins as their third manager of the season, following Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach.

Schumacher, who led the Pilgrims to the 2022/23 League One title, was the 4/6 favourite with Bet Victor this morning to become the new Argyle head coach after the departure of Wayne Rooney.

Ryan Lowe, another promotion-winning ex-Argyle manager, was second in the betting market at 4/1 while Wycombe Wanderers' Matt Bloomfield and former Millwall manager Neil Harris were both 16/1.

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