Mamelodi Sundowns defender Lucas Suarez has received the full backing of head coach Miguel Cardoso, who stated his return to the team will happen naturally.
Suarez, 30, has come under immense scrutiny after a couple of indifferent displays, which was further compounded by a costly individual error against Kaizer Chiefs as they were eliminated 2-1 in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals.
Cardoso pulled the Argentine defender – who is currently on a six-month loan, with an option to buy from CA Tallares – out of the firing line, by starting Mosa Lebusa in his place in the first leg semi-final against Al Ahly on Saturday afternoon.
But Suarez was notably jeered by sections of supporters when he was warming up with the rest of his teammates as substitutes during the encounter at Loftus Versfeld.
“It was not difficult, I’m the coach, I must make decisions, and I should do them when I need to do them but let me tell you, I told Lucas before the match, starting in the locker room that today I trust him more than last week,” Cardoso said.
“The day after the mistake, unfortunately giving a goal for Chiefs, he was head up and moving forward in the training sessions, he reacted, he had ten minutes in the game he was affected, it was clear, he couldn’t hide it.
“But then he also appeared in the game, he showed character. Argentinian guys in general, they have a lot of character hey, in the right way, so I believe he will stand up. Of course, myself as a coach I also need to protect him.
“Sometimes protecting a player is not allowing him to be exposed to the critics. But I will not allow anyone to kill him, for sure, believe me, he will naturally play again in the team, that will naturally happen.”
Cardoso further emphasises, management of the squad is crucial and that he fully trusts all the members of his squad as they look to win the Champions League and Betway Premiership this season.
“I just want you to remember, a week and half ago we played in Tunisia… and Mali Khoza entered the pitch in the final 20 minutes,” he added about his squad decisions in recent weeks.
“Today he was not on the list. Mosa was playing then he had a knock on the head, against Golden Arrows, I don’t remember exactly, he had a two-week, three-week period he couldn’t touch the ball with the head, and he stepped out, another one came in.
“That’s how we relate with moments, Tashreeq [Matthews] struggled during Ramadan, a player who is naturally thin, so he struggled more than the others. He recovered from that and played, so when I say I trust my players, I prove that I trust the players, since the first day I arrived here. What I need is for them to give me a yes, when we give them the opportunity.
“That will happen to Lucas naturally and the other ones, pass trust and demand them to work. Nobody should be comfortable enough to believe they will play without working hard, we trust those who work hard, and in general we have no problems with players who work hard.”
