SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo has confirmed talisman Aubrey Modiba will miss the upcoming clash against Orlando Pirates.
Matsatsantsa began their Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns, but their biggest setback suffered was the injury to Modiba.
Although, Modiba has since begun light training, according to his coach, the 24-year-old is still a few weeks away from a return - effectively ruling him out of Wednesday's game.
“He has started light training because he had a grade one tear. It will probably take two to three weeks for him to fully recover,” Tembo told the media.
“It’s a huge setback for us because he has been one of the most effective players. When he got injured, he was really doing well as well against Sundowns.
“So, we will definitely miss him, and I just hope he recovers quick,” he added.
Meanwhile, with SuperSport set to reignite their rivalry with Bucs, the spotlight has fallen on two players who were only recently on the books of the Soweto giants.
Both Kudakwashe Mahachi and Thamsanqa Gabuza signed for the Tshwane-based outfit during the offseason, but Tembo is adamant he does not expect them to have a major impact against their former side.
“I think they are still coming into the SuperSport fold in terms of understanding the way we want to do things,” Tembo explained.
“The way we want to play, for example, Gabuza has been at Pirates for close to seven or eight years, so it will take time for him to adjust to our environment.
“So, we need to try and give them time and space for them to perform rather than putting them under pressure because it’s still too early for them."
While Gabuza made a name for himself at Bucs, Mahachi has been a relative nomad, yet to fully realise his potential.
“Mahachi as well. He's been at Pirates, Arrows and Sundowns, so changing clubs affects,” he added.
“So, now he is at SuperSport, he needs time to adapt to our way of doing that. So, we’ll give them the opportunity to do that, and the only way they can do that is by playing week in and week out,” he expressed.
