Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Rivaldo Coetzee will be unavailable for at least four weeks due to a hernia injury.
Downs co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi revealed that the problem would require a hernia repair surgery. The 25-year-old was initially included in the Bafana Bafana squad that recently toured Europe but had to withdraw due to the injury.
Speaking ahead of their CAF Champions League Group A encounter against Al-Merrikh on Saturday, Mngqithi revealed that Coetzee, Erwin Saavedra and Gift Motupa are all ruled out of the match.
“He (Rivaldo Coetzee) is still injured; he is out with a hernia. He was supposed to go for an operation somewhere this week, but he is probably out for the next four to six weeks, I think,” said Mngqithi.
“As for players that went to the national team, there is a possibility that we might consider some of them because of our injury status. Because you would remember that Thapelo (Morena) got injured in Sudan and he is still not yet back.
“Fortunately (Khuliso) Mudau did not play the full match on Tuesday (for Bafana Bafana), so we are hoping that might also help us in that right-back position. But in terms of the other injuries, we still have Erwin Saavedra out; we still have Gift Motupa out. Mosa Lebusa is still 50/50,” he said
