Kaizer Chiefs head coach Arthur Zwane has confirmed that Ashley Du Preez has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against Richards Bay.
Du Preez, 25, was one of Chiefs’ standout players in the 1-0 Soweto Derby win over Orlando Pirates, as his runs behind the Buccaneers defence continuously troubled their defence.
However, despite lasting 90 minutes in the Derby, Zwane confirmed that the striker will miss Saturday’s clash with Richards Bay, who sit level on points with the Amakhosi but have won just one of their last eight games in all competitions.
“It’s unfortunate that week in and week out we lose key players,” Zwane told the club’s website.
“From last week’s starting XI we will be without Ash (du Preez), who landed awkwardly against Pirates and has not fully recovered.”
Zwane also insisted that his side cannot take this game for granted after coming of a high from securing bragging rights in the Derby and completing the double over rivals Pirates.
“If you can win that game, you can’t say you will easily win the next game, because every team that plays against Kaizer Chiefs raises their bar,” he added.
“It gave us a big boost in making sure we should believe in ourselves even more. We just want to keep it going the way it is, lift the spirits of the guys keep pushing and create our own luck.
“From nowhere, you get a goal even when the chips are down, but you rise to the occasion. And we need to keep that momentum going. We need to keep the very same mindset at the highest level and make sure everyone is in the same boat.
“We must make sure how important it is to have the same spirit and attitude towards every game we play.”
The match kicks off at 15:30 on Saturday.
