Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has explained striker Samir Nurkovic was allowed to travel home to be with his severely sick father.
Baxter confirmed a bunch of injured players before the SuperSport United match and mentioned that Nurkovic is still out, before adding the Serbian travelled home to continue his rehab near his sick father.
Nurkovic has only played five games and is yet to find the back of the net this season after starting the campaign with a knee injury that later required surgery.
“Samir has been allowed to go home to be with seriously ill father, and he’s doing his rehab and he’s been in contact with the doctors,” he told reporters after the match.
“We did the same with Leo Castro and Leo went very, very well, so we’re allowing him that and I think it is correct, and it’s right to do that. When he gets back he’s going to have to fight for his place.”
Baxter, though, also insisted that it might be tough for Nurkovic to get back into the starting XI once he is fully fit.
“We’ve had this idea of playing with the front three that are very mobile and quick, and sometimes played through the middle a bit more often than having two wings and number nine,” he added.
“So we’ve had no need to change, and we’ve added falls nine sorts of idea, and allowing the full-backs to get higher up the field and cross.
“And in the beginning people were telling me ‘no, you must have a number nine’. And I was even playing Samir as one of the flying players coming in to the box instead of receiving with his back to goals.
“It’s going to be difficult for Samir, he may take the role Bernard has for example, that’s the one he could be competing for, while Leo may be competing for the one Khama has.”
