A whole host of players are set to miss out the MTN8 semi-final first leg for Mamelodi Sundowns against Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday, according to coach Rulani Mokwena.
Defender Rushine de Reuck, Thapelo Maseko and Thapelo Morena have returned “on the green grass” as coach Mokwena likes to say, but they are not at the level to be selected for such a glamorous game.
Chiefs and Sundowns lock horns in the MTN8 semi-final at FNB Stadium this afternoon, where the Tshwane giants, despite being without these players, enter the match as favourites after their 100% start to the DStv Premiership.
Mokwena listed that the likes of De Reuck, Maseko and Morena are still out, while they also had a scare in training around Sipho Mbule.
“On the injury front, it looks better,” said Mokwena.
“It gives an important feeling to see some players [back], even though they are not at the point where they are available to return to play.
“The process is that, it starts with biokinetics, physios, the rehabilitation process, then be granted the green light to be available for training.
“What that means is that I saw today [on Thursday] quite a few players with injury-listed on the green grass which gave me a good feeling that many of them are not yet ready for selection.
“We still have Rushine De Reuck through surgery, but good to see him on the green pitch. Thapelo Morena has now started running together with Thapelo Maseko.
“Good sign and marginal progress, but meaningful in the sense that still not available for selection.
“We got a little bit of a scare with Sipho Mbule, with a bit of pain and swelling around the knee, so we have to see. Grant Kekana has to go under observation on Thursday because of the discomfort during Wednesday’s game [against Polokwane City].
“But we are in a better position than we were before the previous game.”
Sundowns, despite having lost to Chiefs in the cup final of this competition in the 2008/09 season, have beaten the Soweto giants in the last two meetings of the MTN8 – in the 2012/13 and 2021/22 seasons – both in the quarter-finals.
In addition, they also beat Amakhosi 2-1 when both sides met earlier in the campaign.
