Will Mamelodi Sundowns miss Sirino against Bidvest Wits and Orlando Pirates?

A whopping 11 goals and seven assists are what Gaston Sirino has contributed in 32 matches for Mamelodi Sundowns so far this season. 

But the Brazilians will have to do without their playmaker for the two crucial upcoming matches against Bidvest Wits in the Nedbank Cup and Orlando Pirates in the league next week. 

The Uruguayan attacker was slapped with a two-match by the PSL Disciplinary Committee just before the suspension of the current campaign which returns on Saturday. 

This after he was found guilty for assaulting both Clayton Daniels and Dean Furman in an MTN8 match in September 2019. 

While some believe the PSL DC was lenient on Sirino, others are of the view that the punishment fits the offence but that's a topic for another day. 

The focus at this point is whether or not the Brazilians will miss their go-to-guy in their two upcoming matches. 

Goal

The matches are significant in a sense that Sundowns and Pitso Mosimane are vying for a domestic treble, a feat only the Buccaneers achieved, now almost 10 years ago. 

And for them to achieve that, Mosimane will need his best players to carry the team in both matches. 

It will not be the first time that Sundowns get to play without Sirino but the fact that he has just signed a new five-year deal means he's important to the club. 

However, Sundowns have many good players who previously did well in Sirino's absence. 

Mosimane has the likes of Lebohang Maboe, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Themba Zwane and Jose Ali Meza to possibly fill in for Sirino in the next two matches he will be out for. 

The Uruguayan attacker has featured in almost all the matches for the Tshwane giants this season - missing just eight matches across all competitions. 

In those eight matches, won five, drew two and lost just once. 

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What's encouraging that Sundowns failed to score in only two of those eight matches - goalless draws against both Baroka and Bidvest Wits. 

The Chloorkop-based side scored a whopping 12 goals in the eight matches without Sirino, meaning they are still capable of creating enough goalscoring chances without the attacking midfielder. 

And this means Sirino will not be missed that much by the Brazilians, although Mosimane would look to have back as quickly as possible to lift the pressure on his team in the final matches of the season. 

It is how Mosimane sets up his starting line-up that will influence the way the team plays without Sirino - perhaps a change in formation to allow either Vilakazi or Zwane to attack through the middle with his wingbacks pushing forward to assist in attack will do. 

Over the past seasons, Sundowns have had to attack using one side - either on the left or on the right where Thapelo Morena and Tebogo Langerman.  

But with Morena out injured Nicholus Lukhubeni is likely to be given that task, and that would mean throwing everything at the opponents without worrying much about what it would have been with Sirino on the pitch.