Sundowns wait on Modiba, Mokoena and Aubaas fitness before MTN8 final

Mamelodi Sundowns will wait until later in the week to assess whether Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas can play in Saturday’s MTN8 final against Orlando Pirates.

The Bafana Bafana trio returned from international duty with injuries sustained during the FIFA break. Modiba and Mokoena were left out of the second Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Eritrea, while Aubaas was taken off during the match.

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane indicated that the injuries were not serious, but Sundowns manager Miguel Cardoso declined to confirm whether any of the three would be available when he was asked about the situation on Wednesday morning.

“We are completely aligned with the boys representing their countries and we are happy that they performed well, but it’s important to understand that we will not risk any player,” Cardoso said.

The players only reported to Sundowns’ medical team on Tuesday afternoon, after the national squad returned from Egypt earlier that morning.

“Today we are going to see what the condition of the players is like because they only arrived back yesterday morning. So we will see how they react to our first intense examination ahead of the final on Saturday,” Cardoso added.

Sundowns have several players who have been away with their national teams during the international break, limiting the time available to assess the squad before the domestic cup final.

Cardoso said the club had still used the break to prepare as thoroughly as possible, despite the absences.

“We used the international break to prepare in the best way possible, even though we had several players away representing their respective countries,” he said.

The Sundowns manager also stressed that the club would take a cautious approach to the injured players, particularly with a demanding schedule continuing after the MTN8 final.

He said the club would not select anyone who was not ready, with the players’ condition to be reviewed following their first detailed examination by the Sundowns medical staff.