Nabi delivers latest on Duba, Castillo, Lilepo, and Chiefs’ injury list
While Kaizer Chiefs prepared for their next match with a Monday morning training session in Naturena, coach Nasreddine Nabi delivered the latest injury update on the squad, including Wandile Duba, Edson Castillo, and Glody Lilepo Makabi.
The Soweto giants will face Cape Town City FC in the Betway Premiership on Wednesday at FNB Stadium, with kick-off set for 19:30. They head into this match after an important win against Stellenbosch FC in the Nedbank Cup over the weekend.
Amakhosi secured a 3-1 win over Stellies to book a place in the semifinals of the Nedbank Cup, where they will meet the winner of the postponed quarterfinal tie between Mamelodi Sundowns and Sekhukhune United.
However, in the league, Chiefs have been blowing hot and cold, winning only two of their last five matches, with two defeats and one draw. Currently, they sit eighth on the log standings with 28 points after 20 games. But Nabi’s troops can take heart in knowing they’re only three points away from breaking into the top three.
CHIEFS GET TRIPLE INJURY BOOST: DUBA, CASTILLO, MTHETHWA RETURN
With the CT City game approaching, Chiefs will be aiming to achieve back-to-back league victories after their recent win against Magesi FC. However, they will be without Rushwin Dortley, Samkelo Zwane, Tashreeq Morris and Happy Mashiane, who are still sidelined due to injuries.
Mashiane was seen wearing a moon boot on his right leg at the Kaizer Chiefs Village on Monday, while Dortley is still awaiting assessment.
On the other hand, Lilepo, who has impressed since joining Amakhosi in January, is a doubt for the CT City clash as he appears to have picked up a slight knock during the Nedbank Cup tie against Stellenbosch. Since his arrival, the attacker has quickly become a fan favorite, enhancing Nabi’s attacking line with three goals and one assist in eight games across all competitions.
The positive news for Amakhosi is that Castillo has returned from an injury that sidelined him for the last five months. He fractured his fibula during Chiefs’ 1-0 defeat to SuperSport United back in October 2024. This season, he has only played four games in the league.
Meanwhile, Duba and Sibongiseni Mthethwa are also back in contention after recovering from their respective injuries. Duba will be looking to continue with his fine form before he sustained a knee injury in January. The young striker has scored four goals and contributed three assists in 17 games this season.
“Castillo is back with the team but probably not 100 percent fit because he has been away for a couple of months,” said Nabi during Chiefs’ media open day. “Duba had his first training with the squad last week. Zwane is 100 percent out, completely out for the [CT City] game. Morris is probably going to take him three more weeks to come back, so he is out for this game, too.
“We still have Happy out as well for this game. We will be assessing Dortley in the next two days to see where he is at. Lilepo has been having some discomfort, and he will look at him today. OX [Mthethwa], probably we feel that he can play some minutes but not a full match.
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