Wits back to full power to face Celtic

Bidvest Wits coach Gavin Hunt is relieved at the return of his rock-solid back four ahead of Saturday's Telkom Knockout final against Bloemfontein Celtic at Durban's Princess Magogo Stadium.

After months of struggling in central defence, with their worst start ever in the Premier Soccer League, and the worst by any champions, Wits kept a fourth clean sheet in their 0-0 away league draw against Maritzburg United on Saturday.

If that statistic is a sign that Wits are stabilising, then having their 2016-2017 back-four together again for the first time in 2017-2018 should lead to more clean sheets.

Nazeer Allie at right-back, Buhle Mkhwanazi and captain Thulani Hlatshwayo in the middle and Sifiso Hlanti at left-back, in front of goalkeeper Darren Keet, will be a difficult wall for Celtic to breach.

Allie, Mkhwanazi and Hlatshwayo are among the injured players to have returned to Wits in the past three weeks as the Clever Boys enter the Knockout final as close to full strength as they have been this season.

"We've got a few back. We've got [Daylon] Claasen, Gabadinho [Mhango], Ben Motswari. They're all training," Hunt said.

"But do I play them? Those are the things we're going to have to discuss and think about.

"Because it's a one-off game. So do you put those guys back in?

"They are an integral part of us and do give us legs and pace, which we haven't had in this whole first round.

"Steven [Pienaar] played on Saturday, so that adds another one.

"Before that the team picked itself; now you have to pick a team again - which is good.

"At least the defence is back - it was the first game in 16 matches in which we've had our whole defence playing.

"To have 'Tyson' [Hlatshwayo], Buhle, Allie and Hlanti all playing, that gives us our rock, the strength of our team."

The final in KwaMashu, north of Durban, will be Wits's second meeting against Celtic this season.

The Clever Boys lost 1-0 in a league match in Bloemfontein on October 1.