SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt has bemoaned the injuries that have hit key players in the squad ahead of their TotalEnergies CAF Confederations Cup, second preliminary leg clash in Polokwane tomorrow evening (19:00).
Hunt counted about eight players in the pre-match press conference including captain Thulani Hlatswayo (concussion), Siyanda Xulu (hamstring) Thelente Mbatha (knee), Siphesihle Ndlovu and Neo Rapoo as those that won’t be available for the clash at the Peter Mokaba stadium.
The tie is balanced following the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Botswana two weeks ago. Hunt wants Matsatsantsa to go further in the competition and he added that he believes in the players that he will pick on the night to deliver.
“You got to believe it you know we’ve got a very, very small squad, the smallest in the league,” said Hunt.
“We got to box clever and obviously we are shot of a few defenders which is a worrying factor so we might have to change the way we play but we don’t really have any training time.
“So playing in Polokwane as I said we don’t have training time because a home game only takes us a day, now it’s taking us three days. So you play home and away in a week which is seven days, we are taking six days to play two games where we normally take four days. So you must know we don’t have training time.
“So we’ve got 20 minutes now, half an hour now to put a team together and work a bit of shape and different things but they will adapt.”
Hunt also said he may wring in changes in goals as he is thinking beyond the Confed Cup match.
After this clash the side will face Mamelodi Sundowns soon in the DStv Premiership. With Ricardo Goss unable to play against his parent club Hunt says he doesn’t want the keeper for that encounter to be green suggesting Washington Arubi who played in the first leg in Botswana may play tomorrow.
“I think in the goalkeeping department we also have to be careful of what’s coming up. We are playing Sundowns soon and we can’t play our goalkeeper so I can’t have a goalkeeper going there cold.
“I need to give him a few games. It’s important that he plays a little bit here and there and I think in these type of games so when we come to a game like Sundowns and three, four players can’t play you know, we can’t just throw a goalkeeper in there cold.
“Outfield players you can come and go but a goalkeeper needs to play. So ja he [Arubi] did well and he is a very good goalkeeper I got a lot of trust in him so we will play him where I feel we need to play him.”
