Orlando Pirates coach Fadlu Davids has revealed that influential duo Vincent Pule and Richard Ofori are on track to return from injury in the new year.
Vincent Pule got injured while on Bafana Bafana duty, while Ofori also sustained an injury on national duty for Ghana.
The Soweto giants also received a major boost just before the DStv Premiership festive break as Thembinkosi Lorch, Zakhele Lepasa and Innocent Maela returned from injury.
Despite their injury crisis since the start of the season, Pirates have managed to accumulate 30 points in 19 league matches.
“It’s a huge booster, we are not coaches to really complain about players who are not available. But it’s been a tough period where you have seven of your starting players not available,” said Davids.
“Moreover, your front view of Lepasa, Lorch and Vincent Pule, where your creativity, where you key passes, where your assists, goals come from.
“A lot of matches that we have drawn, we were really creating opportunities to be able to win. And yeah, that’s eight to 10 points out of those draws, those five draws that we definitely should have won.”
Davids added: “We are not complaining, the players are back, Vincent Pule and Richard Ofori will be back as well in the new year. So, we’ll have a full squad ready to first take a break, credit to the squad that came in really creating competition plays that came and get the job.
“But now the competition starts where everybody is back, and the performance level will determine which player is on the pitch in the second half [of the season].”
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