Kaizer Chiefs unlikely to welcome injured players back for Red Arrows tie

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Da Cruz says his side are unlikely to recover any of their injured players before their CAF Confederation Cup second preliminary round first leg against Red Arrows in Zambia.

The Glamour Boys will travel for the continental fixture with a squad that is expected to be largely unchanged from the team that faced Stellenbosch.

“If we compare the squad [against Stellenbosch], it will be more or less the same, maybe one or two changes, but we will not recover our injured players. It will take a bit of time, but I’m confident in our squad,” Da Cruz said.

Chiefs face a demanding period, with the CAF Confederation Cup and Carling Knockout Cup both on their schedule this month before the Soweto Derby against Orlando Pirates at the end of October.

The team have drawn five of their past six league matches, but Da Cruz believes the run of cup fixtures could give his players the opportunity to find a different rhythm.

“We have many games this month, it will not be very easy; Carling Cup, CAF, the Soweto Derby at the end of the month, so we start these competitions, but it can allow the team to be in a new dynamic,” he said.

Da Cruz targets positive first-leg result

Da Cruz expects the conditions in Zambia to provide another test, while admitting Chiefs have limited knowledge of what awaits them.

He also warned that Red Arrows possess a number of threats, including their ability to attack quickly and use long balls, but said Chiefs would be focused on returning home with an advantage.

“It’s a strong team, with strong players, they play offensive transitions, they play long ball as well, we don’t know very well the conditions, it might not be good, but we’ll go to Zambia to come back with a good result, to be in a positive mood for the game at home,” he added.

Chiefs will aim to put themselves in a strong position during the first leg before hosting Red Arrows in the return fixture.

The South African club are seeking to advance further in the CAF Confederation Cup, despite entering the tie without the expected return of their injured players.