HIGHLANDERS’ chances of snatching the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League title this season could be hurt as injury woes continue to pile up.
BY FORTUNE MBELE
Skipper Erick Mudzingwa is the latest to pick an injury and could miss the team’s match away to Chapungu on Saturday.
The defensive linkman is struggling with a toe injury which he sustained at training last week, which ruled him out of last weekend’s Chibuku Super Cup quarter-final victory over How Mine.
He remains a doubt for the trip to Ascot Stadium.
The man who was selected to replace him on Sunday, Douglas Sibanda, barely lasted 30 minutes into the match, as he hobbled off with a back injury.
Sibanda is also likely to be ruled out of the Chapungu match while Prince Dube and Simon Munawa have small niggles.
Striker Nhlanhla Ndlovu is also struggling with an injury and it remains unclear for how long he will be missing.
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Highlanders coach Erol Akbay expects Mudzingwa to be out of action for about four weeks, which would be a big blow for the team who are chasing their first title in almost a decade now.
The Bulawayo football giants are on position three on the log standings with 47 points, four behind leaders FC Platinum and three behind second-placed Caps United with just five matches remaining to the season.
“He (Mudzingwa) was injured last week at training and we had to make last-minute changes. Someone stomped on his toe. For that kind of injury it might take a few weeks, but I will hear what the doctors have to say. Hopefully, he is available for the Saturday match,” Akbay said.
He added: “Douglas (Sibanda) was also hit in the back and we had to take him out. Prince (Dube) and Munawa also suffered minor knocks in that match, but I hope it is not anything serious. If these guys are not fit for Saturday, then it is not good for our campaign. We won against How Mine to progress to the Chibuku Super Cup semi-final and we are still in the race for the championship, so we need everyone to be fit. If we can get the double, why not? We have to go for it.”
Highlanders are currently on a roll, stitching up seven consecutive wins in all competitions, but know a tough fixture awaits them at the weekend where they face a team that has only lost twice at home this season.
They would want to beat Chapungu and hope that FC Platinum and Caps United drop points in their respective matches against Harare City and Border Strikers on Sunday.
