Jose Riveiro reveals Orlando Pirates' plan to cope without Nigeria international Olisa Ndah ahead of Soweto giants' Caf Champions League group stage campaign

Nigeria international Olisa Ndah suffered a tibia fracture on September 24 in the Premier Soccer League game against Polokwane City.

He has since been ruled out for the rest of the year which is a major blow for the Soweto giants.

The 26-year-old is set to miss some crucial matches starting with the ongoing Premier Soccer League, early stages of the Carling Knockout - depending on the way his team performs, first rounds of the Caf Champions League Group stages, and probably Nedbank Cup games depending on the scheduling.

Pirates coach Jose Riveiro concedes it is a massive blow but is confident he will find a suitable replacement to fill the gap.

"Players want to play games, Olisa was in an exceptional moment of his career and it’s a pity that he cannot be part of the team for the upcoming months, but we have solutions within the squad," he told the media.

"It’s not a headache in that sense, we have quality in the squad. Enough to immediately find the player who is going to replace Olisa as it happened in the final already. Olisa didn’t play but we played an international player like Sibisi.

"Tapelo [Xoki] is coming back soon, our captain Innocent Maela, we have many players who can play that role, so the headaches are always the same, to find the best starting XI to play in a squad of 39 players, so this week isn’t an exception in that sense," Riveiro concluded.

Riveiro hopes Tapelo Xoki gets match fitness soonest possible after missing out on a big chunk of matches from late last season.

Thabiso Sesane has already established himself at the back, and Pirates hope Ndah's absence will not negatively impact the team.