Gor Mahia defender Shafik Batambuze has revealed his previous timeline of returning to action by June may not materialise as he has struggled in his recovery process.
In April, the Ugandan player had assured the club's fans he will be fit and available to play in the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) by the start of June.
The dreadlocked player sustained a nasty knee injury while turning out for the Kenyan champions in a Caf Champions League match against Aigle Noir of Burundi, and was forced to undergo surgery.
The injury has kept Batambuze out of action for the entire season and after undergoing successful surgery in November, the player pencilled in June as the month to return to action.
However, Batambuze now fears he may not be able to return this month because his recovery process has stalled owing to the coronavirus pandemic, which has prompted a lockdown in his native Uganda where he relocated to, so as to nurse the injury.
The most difficult part for Batambuze is that he is not able to visit his physio, who is based in the capital Kampala, some 82km from Jinja because of the lockdown, which banned movements around the country.
He also lacks the money to hire a taxi if he managed to secure a signed letter to travel.
“I last revisited my physiotherapist in April then the country went into a total lockdown and it became impossible,” Batambuze, who currently is residing in Jinja, is quoted by People Sports.
“Yes hospitals are listed as essential service providers but the challenge is I cannot get public transport since the lockdown.
“The only way I can get there is through a taxi which costs Ush246,000 [Sh7,000] then I need another Ush175,731 [Sh5,000] for consultation and physio sessions.
“This is too expensive for me given my club has not paid us for six months.”
The left-back has previously featured for a number of clubs including SC Villa (Uganda), Western Stima, Sofapaka, Tusker (both of Kenya), and Singida United of Tanzania.
Batambuze became the third Gor Mahia player to undergo Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) surgery in the last calendar year after winger Curtis Wekesa and defender Philemon Otieno were both diagnosed with the same problem and were operated on earlier in the season.
