Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso says they are working on ways to trim the squad to a more manageable size in future.
Sundowns currently have a squad of 42 players with Lucas Suarez and Matias Esquivel set to be added to their options before the end of the window.
Rushine de Reuck has been linked with a move to Europe, as first reported by iDiski Times for a potential loan move – while there’s talks ongoing for another defender potentially joining either in January or at the end of the current season.
This has raised questions about squad management, training an inflated squad and how Cardoso has managed the situation with emerging talents and a couple of unregistered players often joining sessions at Chloorkop.
“I can’t speak about the past, I can speak about the talks I’ve had in the club between the Sporting Director, the board, the President and the Chairman, and myself,” he said.
“We understand that it’s not easy in South Africa to put on loan, in the right context the level of players we have and that come from our academy, so sometimes the situation of having players don’t come necessarily that we want to keep them.
“It also comes from the fact that we try and find the right environment, so they can give the next step. And the club is trying to make it, probably during the season you will see surprises in how we approach ourselves in giving competitive spaces for youngsters.
“After they come out the academy, Diski team, and how they can close the gap between Diski team and first team, so they don’t stay for two, three years as extra… not extra, but they just demand me to give extra work, sessions to all of them.
“Sometimes it’s hard, things like finishing sessions and then keep going with other players who didn’t participate – you can’t exercise a team of 15 v 15 but you need to give players game time and training time to everyone – it’s a challenge.”
The former Rio Ave and Nantes mentor did however suggest that their scheduling this season and gruelling travelling turnovers between continental fixtures does require them to work with a squad much bigger than he prefers.
This is due to fatigue and niggling injuries that is bound to happen between the serious injuries that have seen Rivaldo Coetzee, Mothobi Mvala, Siyabonga Mabena and Themba Zwane ruled out since even before his arrival.
“This a very particular season we’re facing, as we spoke already we have several injured players – it means at the moment the team isn’t that big at all, because if you ask me how do you consider a squad in a normal schedule,” he asked.
“We have weeks with two games but then weeks with only weekend games, probably a squad of 24 plus keepers would be enough, or 22 with goalkeepers would be enough but we’re not in a normal situation.
“Mudau and Morena both got injured in one game now we have another right back but it’s unexpected, and it comes form the fact we play a lot of matches, we should remember, that our national team players are a lot, our players don’t stop playing.
“African competitions are also long travels, ASFAR travel? Unbelievable, five-day trip from the moment we left and came back, almost six days, and nights we didn’t sleep properly. So that’s why sometimes their squad needs to be extended, not because we want it or want the luxury of keeping players, we don’t do that.
“We have to worry about the careers of the players, in the moment we’re discussing letting some players go out but we need to find the right places to ut them, sometimes they say it’s not the best for me…”
