Cardoso Not Worried About Growing Injury List
Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says he is unfazed by the extensive injury list his side is facing as he expects three key players to return to full fitness amid a packed fixture schedule.
The Brazilians have been without several important figures of their squad due to different injury layoffs, including club captain Themba Zwane, Siyabonga Mabena, Mosa Lebusa, Tashreeq Matthews, Mothobi Mvala, Grant Kekana and Rivaldo Coetzee.
However, despite all that, the Portuguese mentor has been able to mastermind wins over Raja Casablanca and Stellenbosch in the CAF Champions League and the Betway Premiership respectively in his first two games.
Now, Cardoso has dismissed the notion that Masandawana’s physical preparation has declined this season with constant injuries and asserted the importance of carefully integrating long-term absentees back into the squad. “Most of these injuries were traumatic injuries, so the worry is that they are not there [with us], it’s not a matter of preparation for sure because most of them are from traumatic setbacks as we saw in the match against Raja Casablanca, ” he said.
“So, there are long-term injuries that we have to wait for, like Themba [Zwane], like [Rivaldo] Coetzee, but they will come back at the right time. We need to provide them with the rest that they need.”
The former Esperance de Tunis mentor went on to reveal that the Chloorkop-based outfit is set to receive an injury boost as a trio is edging closer to a return while Marcelo Allende is not expected to spend a lengthy period on the sidelines after he was forced off against Stellies.
“There are a few ones that are coming back quite quickly, Tashreeq [Matthews] is coming back quite quickly, [Grant] Kekana is coming back for sure quite quickly, Mosa [Lebusa], we expect him to come back quickly, ” Cardoso stated.
“For Marcelo [Allende] it was a small setback, he suffered a punch, you don’t control that. We expect [him to be back soon], let’s see the assessment on him that he can recover or be present again very quickly.”
Moreover, the 52-year-old tactician has acknowledged that players like Rushine De Reuck, who was last in action in the shock defeat to Polokwane City in October, are susceptible to injuries as they lack minutes under their belts.
“And as you said, I completely cope with that and I agree that for the players that didn’t play for so long like Rushine [De Reuck], it’s normal that he can suffer at the end of the game because the effort today [vs Stellies] was hard, ” admitted Cardoso.
“There’s no major concern, obviously the concern is that we don’t have the players, but we have a big group, and we are working with that one so that we can give answers and that’s what I said in the beginning, we need to be a strong team.”
