Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso has explained why they are not in a hurry to have defender Mothobi Mvala return to the pitch after a lengthy period on the sidelines.
The 31-year-old has been out injured and has not tasted competitive football since September 2025. The injury setback came not long after he had returned from another long stint out due to fitness issues.
Mvala’s problematic knee, which required surgery twice, has seen him lose his place in the Bafana Bafana squad. Once a defensive mainstay of Hugo Broos’ defence, chances of him going to the 2026 FIFA World Cup are almost nonexistent.
If he returns to full fitness, the task appears too big for him to reclaim a starting spot in the Sundowns team. He would have to prove that he deserves to be selected in a team that has the likes of Grant Kekana, Keanu Cupido, Khulumani Ndamane and Malibongwe Khoza as centre-backs.
CARDOSO ISSUES INJURY UPDATE ON MVALA
“Mothobi is training with the team not for a long time fully, basically, almost one week. Obviously, considering the long period of inactivity that he had, not only his return to training but his return to performance, that’s another thing,” Cardoso said.
“We would love to have everybody available. When you have more players available, and you have players who can come on the pitch and make a difference, especially in attack, for us it’s simpler.
“Mothobi is a very important player in the locker room. He is a very important player for us in terms of what we see. He is a leader, a high-profile character. I love him so much.
“But I think we should not put too much pressure on him coming on the pitch to play. It’s important to give him the proper conditions so that when he comes, he really comes and settles down because, as you know, his kind of procedure and recovery, if you don’t take them with patience, the setback would be dramatic.
“So, we don’t want that to happen. Let’s stay in peace and let him train consistently, and from there we will move for sure.”
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