De Sa hit by injuries

Roger de Sa has just 18 players to choose from for his squad to face Polokwane City in tonight's Absa Premiership game at Athlone Stadium, as injuries and suspensions have taken their toll on Ajax Cape Town.

The new Urban Warriors coach will take charge of his first PSL game with the team. The former Orlando Pirates boss sat on the bench in the Cape side's 1-0 Nedbank Cup last-32 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns at Athlone on Saturday, though, having been in charge for just a day, he did not have much influence on squad selection.

Ajax are safe enough in 11th place on 23 points from 19 games, seven points above Free State Stars in the second-last relegation play-off position. But a defeat at home against Boebie Solomons's fighting Polokwane would put the pressure right back on the Urban Warriors.

"We have been reduced to 18 players due to injuries and suspensions after the Sundowns game," De Sa said.

"It's the easiest selection problem I've had in the last two years but it's also not ideal."

Polokwane, on 19 points from 18 games in 13th place, also bowed out of the Nedbank Cup with a 1-0 defeat to Golden Arrows in KZN on Saturday. Newly promoted City have continued to battle for PSL points in 2014, with a win, a loss and a draw.

But their last result, a 1-0 victory at home to Pirates, was a significant confidence boost.

Ajax managed one PSL victory, three draws and a defeat under caretaker Ian Taylor after the departure of head coach Muhsin Ertugral last month.

Pirates, still with caretaker-coach Eric Tinkler on the bench as Vladimir Vermezovic waits for a work permit, face Free State at Orlando Stadium tomorrow night.

Wits and Mamelodi Sundowns square up at Milpark in a battle of the leading chasers of league leaders Kaizer Chiefs.

In the absence of injured strikers Katlego Mashego and Cuthbert Malajila for a month, Rodney Ramagalela stepped into the breach with a long-range strike against Ajax. But the Brazilians slipped up with a 1-0 defeat at home to Pirates on Tuesday, and now have just one game in hand on Chiefs to cut a nine-point gap.

Wits were 10-man winners against Supersport United on Tuesday thanks to Sibusiso Vilakazi's hat-trick. That continued the Students' unbeaten run at home this season where they are unbeaten.