Kaizer Chiefs’ Langelihle Phili begins rehabilitation after ankle injury

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando Da Cruz says Langelihle Phili has started his rehabilitation after an ankle injury ruled the 21-year-old attacker out for at least eight weeks.

Phili has spent the past 10 days without training or working as he recovered from the injury, but has now moved into the next stage of his rehabilitation programme.

The winger joined Kaizer Chiefs from Stellenbosch FC at the start of the current campaign and made an immediate impression. He has scored once in three appearances across all competitions, before the ankle problem interrupted his progress.

Da Cruz provided the update after Kaizer Chiefs’ 3-2 Betway Premiership victory over Siwelele at Dobsonville. Speaking at a news conference carried by DiskiFans, the French coach underlined Phili’s importance to his plans while insisting the squad has enough options to cope with his absence.

“He’s an important player for us, for that we signed him,” said Da Cruz.

“For the moment he didn’t work during 10 days and now he’s starting his rehabilitation.

“Technically he’s a good player. He’s a player who is able to make a difference, a player who’s able to eliminate 1 vs 1.

“But also, we have other players we work, we are trusting them and we create chances, it’s not a problem. Our main issue is we are not enough killer inside the two box.”

Phili’s progress had been one of the early positives of his move to Amakhosi. His goal contribution came during his first three matches of the season, although his injury has now left him facing a period on the sidelines that is expected to last a minimum of eight weeks.

Da Cruz said the club would continue to rely on the other attacking players in the squad to produce opportunities while Phili is unavailable. He also pointed to the team’s finishing as the main area requiring improvement, rather than the ability to create chances.

His comments came after Kaizer Chiefs secured an important win against Siwelele, with Vilakazi scoring as the club climbed back into third place in the Betway Premiership.

The result was achieved without Phili, and Da Cruz’s remarks suggested the team will continue to trust its existing options during the youngster’s recovery. The coach praised Phili’s technical qualities, particularly his capacity to make a difference in one-on-one situations, but said the squad had other players capable of contributing.

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