Kaizer Chiefs face major squad doubts for Mamelodi Sundowns clash

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando Da Cruz says almost all of the players who missed the team’s previous match are unlikely to return for Saturday’s Betway Premiership meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns.

The two sides will meet at FNB Stadium, where kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 on Saturday. Da Cruz provided the update during his pre-match press conference, when he was asked to assess the availability of his squad before the important fixture.

The coach indicated that the limited time between matches had left those who were absent from recent games with little chance of being ready for the Sundowns encounter. His comments suggest that Kaizer Chiefs are set to face the match with a group similar to the one available for their previous outing.

Ethan Chislett, Flavio Da Silva, Bradley Cross, Paseka Mako, Nkanyiso Shinga, Rushwin Dortley and Faiz Abrahams are all expected to remain unavailable. Their continued absence is either linked to injury or a lack of sufficient match fitness at this stage.

Da Cruz said the short turnaround had made it difficult for the affected players to return to contention.

“It will be the same players because the time is too short,” said Da Cruz.

The coach added that the players who had already missed matches would not be included in the squad for the meeting with Mamelodi Sundowns. However, he also revealed that one further player remains doubtful, with a final decision still to be made after a medical assessment.

“These players will be out of the squad, we also have one who we’re doubtful about.

“We will wait for the medical department today to make a decision.”

That assessment means Kaizer Chiefs’ final squad could still change slightly, although Da Cruz’s main expectation is that the players already unavailable will continue to miss out. The club therefore faces the possibility of taking on Sundowns without seven players who are either injured or not yet fit enough to feature.

The match will be played at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with the 15:00 start confirmed. Interest in the fixture was also reflected in ticket sales, with around 32 000 tickets sold by lunchtime on Thursday.

The attendance figure was released two days before the match, underlining the level of anticipation surrounding the Betway Premiership clash. However, the main issue for Da Cruz before kick-off remains the condition and availability of his squad, with the medical department expected to provide the final update on the one doubtful player.