Mohamed Zidan says he might well make his long-awaited comeback in Egypt's friendly with Australia on Wednesday. The Borussia Dortmund forward faced a lengthy layoff after sustaining a serious cruciate ligament injury in a 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga last April. Zidan, who's facing a fitness battle after spending more than six months on the sidelines, was named in Egypt's squad for the Australia game but it wasn't confirmed that he's fit to play. One day ahead of the match, the 28-year-old assured that he had reached full recovery and now needs to test himself. "I'm happy that I will return in action by featuring for the (Egyptian) national team," he told reporters. "I'm still in rehab to regain my match fitness and get ready for the South Africa game (in the 2012 Nations Cup qualifying stage). "I could play for 45 minutes to see how strong my knee is. I also need to know whether my breathing will be normal." On the match, Zidan said: "Australia are definitely strong but so are we. It's an important game." Egypt were heavily criticized of late for below-par performances in their last couple of Nations Cup qualifiers this year. The seven-time African champions drew with minnows Sierra Leone 1-1 before losing 1-0 in Niger. They are now at the bottom of Group G with a single point. "We still have a chance to reach the 2012 African Cup of Nations," Zidan added. Optimistic Egypt veteran Mohamed Abou-Treika echoed Zidan's sentiment, saying Egypt still have a good chance to go through. "We are not at our best right now but we can get back to normal before taking on South Africa," he said. "In general, we are optimistic and determined to live up to expectations. "Our game with Australia will be a vital part of our preparations. It's a remarkable team that boast a host of stars."
