Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has indicated Itumeleng Khune will have to work hard to reclaim his spot in the team's starting line-up.
The German tactician recently revealed Khune will be included in the 18-man squad for their Nedbank Cup Last 32 match against Royal Eagles on Saturday.
However, Khune is unlikely to start in goal with current first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi set to start against the National First Division (NFD) outfit.
“Daniel Akpeyi signed another two-year contract. Itu Khune is still under contract, where how does he fit in? Age is totally on his side, he got a bit of an injury challenge at the moment," Middendorp told the media.
“Just make him [Khune] fit, a player with his quality we are all happy to have him there, let him work, work on his positive side, on his strong side, make him even better and that’s what it is.
Middendorp believes it would not make sense for him to drop Akpeyi, who has been in top form this season having kept eight clean sheets in 16 PSL matches.
“The procedure is not very clear because there is a player who was good, fantastic and all of a sudden I must take Samir Nurkovic out and play somebody, I don’t think it is advisable. Daniel Akpeyi played fantastic games, week in, week out over months,” he said.
“We have a respectable team and squad and first selection and sometimes players must wait for their opportunity whenever it is right and that’s it. I had a chat with Bruce Bvuma, we can talk about him because he is a national team player too, what’s his future, how is he seating out."
Bvuma is currently serving as Chiefs' third-choice keeper and he was part of the Bafana Bafana squad at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals in Egypt.
Chiefs are set to host Eagles at the 2010 Fifa World Cup final venue, FNB Stadium in Nasrec, Johannesburg.