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The Orlando Pirates can play the second leg of their MTN8 semifinal against Soweto rivals Kaizer Chiefs on Sunday without three regulars due to injuries.
The Pirates tried to gain momentum this week by staying in the starting lineup that gave them a 3-0 win against the Chiefs in the first leg of the Soweto derby last Saturday.
But that plan fell through in their 1-0 DStv Premiership win against Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday night when attacking midfielder Thembinkosi Lorch and forward Terrence Dzvukamanja were injured during the match.
Pirates backup coach Fadlu Davids said it was difficult for him to confirm whether Lorch or Dzvukamanja would have recovered when they face the Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Sunday.
“It doesn’t look good for both players,” said Davids, who had Siphesihle Ndlovu to thank for delivering the game-winner for the Bucs on Wednesday night when it looked like the game would end in a boring draw.
“Dzvukamanja’s injury looks like a head injury, but we’ll get a report from the doctor later. I have no comments.
“Lorch is similar with his knee and had to leave early in the first half. It is still too early to tell. We don’t know, but we will get a report. He will go through the scan and then we will re-evaluate what the next step is, ”Davids said.
The duo’s injuries add to those of defender Thulani Hlatshwayo, who was not a starter against Celtic. Davids regretted these injuries, saying they could disrupt the team’s momentum as they wanted to build the team around the beginning of the lineup that scored the outstanding result against the Chiefs.
“If you think about our first three games, we had a change in every game there … [there] It was three to five changes from the Cape Town game going to AmaZulu and against Stellenbosch, ”Davids said after Celtic’s win, Bucs’ first of the league season in three games.
“It was a much better performance against Kaizer Chiefs and now you want to build continuity. You can talk back on what’s right and what’s wrong, but we know it’s three games in a week.
“We feel its effects in the first half [against Celtic] But that’s what you’ve gotten used to We have to get used to our calendar with upcoming matches in Caf [the Confederation Cup]‚The league‚ MTN8 and Nedbank Cup.
“If you want to push your players in terms of your conditioning you have to do it at the beginning of the season knowing that we didn’t have a six-week preseason.
“So we felt it in the first half, but the team we have was able to turn it around in the second half.”
Davids was very happy, however, to see Ndlovu seize his opportunity at the Pirates after battling for playing time last season by joining the team of Bucs assistant coach’s former club, Maritzburg United.
“It’s not easy when you come from a different club,” Davids said of Ndlovu’s struggles at Pirates.
“But we saw it [Ndlovu’s form] during bubble time in which he got into the last three games and won three man-of-the-matches, and continued man-of-the-match in the first game this season.
“But it is a new season and there is competition in the team. Each and every player, not just Ndlovu, has to work hard to be able to fight for his place in the team.
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