Mamelodi Sundowns coach provides injury update on Themba Zwane and four others

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has confirmed that he will miss five players in the second leg of their CAF Champions League match against Nigerian champions Remo Stars.

Sundowns host Remo Stars in the return leg of the second preliminary match on Sunday but carry a huge first leg advantage after winning 5-1 in Nigeria last weekend.

That has eased the pressure on Cardoso but while he is looking to impress at home, he will have to do it without five key players who are nursing injuries.

“We have unfortunately some more severe questions like Mothobi Mvala that had a surgery last week,” Cardoso told the media.

Cardoso explains Mvala’s injury

“Even in the locker room last week [vs Remo], we spoke a lot about it. I asked that we should make a good job, take the spirit of Mothobi inside the pitch and I think the team did it.

“We wanted to honor him with a good match, so it's the most difficult situation we have in our hands, in terms of long-term recovery time needed to come back.”

The tactician then explained the recovery journeys of Malibongwe Khoza, Zuko Mdunyelwa, midfielder Themba Zwane and striker Iqraam Rayners.

“The other issues we have are smaller. We have Zuko [Mdunyelwa] already training normal with the team,” added the Portuguese coach.

How far is ‘Mshishi’ from returning?

“We have Mali [Khoza] that got a small injury on the ankle as you saw he was substituted [against Remo], it's not a huge thing – there is nothing broken, we were a little bit afraid it might be some bone crash, but there isn't. So, he will come back in proper time.”

Captain Zwane has been out since last month and Cardoso wants to manage the 36-year-old carefully given his age and his recent injury problems.

“We have Themba [Zwane] also on his recovery process, it's not something that will finish in one week but also we don't expect it to take long,” the Sundowns coach revealed. “But we need to be careful, he's a very important asset like everybody – it's also a question of human being, we need to bring him up in the best conditions for him to be available for us.”

Sundowns coach provides Rayners’ update

Meanwhile, Rayners pulled out of the Bafana Bafana squad after sustaining an injury and his coach remains positive that he will be back in action soon.

“And then there's the question on Iqraam Rayners as you know he came back from the national team [due to injury] and thank God due to his biology and physiology, and the effort of the doctors and the exams he did – we were able to see there is no issue in terms of cardiac question that will take him out of his career,” he added.

“It's a minor thing thank God. We need to also give him some time. He is now starting to train with the team – he was two weeks absolutely without training but he started yesterday [Wednesday] and today he trained and integrated in the team and he made all the training sessions. So, we should expect Iqraam to now get on his condition and be available again for the team.”