Jele out for the season

Happy Jele's injury will give Pirates coach Julio Leal more selection headaches.

Leal is already under pressure following the league champions' defeat at the weekend, their fourth of the season.

In a match in which the Buccaneers were outplayed 3-1 by Wits, Jele suffered a broken leg and is out for the rest of the season.

A club statement said the player, who has scored two goals in eight games, would not play for between six and nine months.

Jele collided with Wits defender Siboniso Gumede during their Premier League match at Nelspruit's Mbombela stadium on Saturday night.

According to John Williams, the Pirates physiotherapist, Jele was taken to hospital, but the scan did not reveal the extent of his injury.

He saw an orthopaedic surgeon on Monday evening.

Jele was a vital part of the Buccaneers' championship-winning team last season, playing in 28 of the 30 Premier League matches. It is also a blow to Pirates who, having bagged the MTN8 title, are now in the semifinals of the Telkom Knockout.

Leal will use captain Lucky Lekgwathi or Rooi Mahamutsa at rightback - a position Jele occupied before the injury.

"We have two youngsters [Njabulo Ntusi and Bheki Nzunga] who are capable replacements for Jele, but Lucky and Rooi's experience will be required in that fullback position," said the coach.