Egyptian defender Amir Azmi returned to action on Tuesday after an eight-month layoff through a cruciate ligament injury. Azmi came on as a substitute in the last 15 minutes of PAOK's 2-0 defeat to Lyon in a friendly game, and appeared in a physical good shape. The 22-year-old also performed well in the match where he marked Norwegian striker John Carew. "I'm very happy to be back after a long injury layoff," Azmi told FilGoal.com on after the game. "PAOK's Romanian coach Ilie Dumitrescu was happy with my performance," he added. Azmi sustained the injury during his side's clash against Levadiakos in the Greek league last December.