Kaizer Chiefs face injury concerns before demanding Sundowns clash

Kaizer Chiefs manager Fernando Da Cruz is facing a difficult week of squad management after injuries to Flavio Da Silva and Ethan Chislett added to the pressure surrounding the club’s early-season schedule.

Chiefs were knocked out of the MTN8 by Lamontville Golden Arrows in a 1-0 defeat at FNB Stadium on Saturday, leaving Da Cruz with little opportunity to reflect on the result. The Glamour Boys must now prepare for three matches in six days, beginning with a Betway Premiership fixture against Sekhukhune United on Wednesday and followed by a major meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns at the weekend.

Da Silva and Chislett were both unavailable for the loss to Arrows, while new signing Langelihle Phili made his first appearance for Chiefs after coming on as a second-half substitute.

Da Silva’s absence was particularly significant. The forward had scored in Chiefs’ 3-1 Betway Premiership win over Kruger United the previous weekend, but Da Cruz explained that he suffered an injury during training.

“First thing, Silva got hurt yesterday at training, so we were left minus one,” Da Cruz said through his translator.

“We have three games in six days, so we prefer to be careful with him. The same thing for Chislett also.”

The tightly packed fixture list comes while Da Cruz is still working to settle on his preferred combinations. The French manager has been assessing his squad during the opening weeks of the campaign, with injuries and fitness concerns limiting his options.

Phili’s debut offered one of the few positives from the defeat by Arrows. However, Da Cruz said the winger, who recently joined the club, is not yet ready to play at full intensity.

“I’m happy about the performance of Phili today but he’s not 100% as yet, so we’ll go step by step with him to be careful,” he said.

Another new arrival, Faiz Abrahams, was not selected for the matchday squad. Da Cruz said Abrahams had arrived without completing a pre-season programme and would need time before he could be fully integrated.

“And with Faiz, he has no pre-season whatsoever, so we are only starting to prepare him now and he’ll need a bit of patience,” Da Cruz added.

Pule Mmodi and Asanele Velebayi were also omitted from the squad against Golden Arrows, but their absence was not caused by injury. Da Cruz described both decisions as tactical and indicated that the pair could be needed during the demanding run of matches.

“For Velebayi and Mmodi, it was just a choice today but we have three games in six days, so we’ll need the entire squad because it will be a tough week for all of us,” he said.

With their MTN8 campaign over, Chiefs’ immediate task is to regain momentum in the league. The challenge will become significantly tougher at the weekend when they face Sundowns, making the fitness of Da Silva and Chislett an important concern for Da Cruz as he attempts to guide his side through a crucial period.