Kaizer Chiefs will be without Lebo Manyama when they play Wydad Casablanca in a crunch Caf Champions League semifinal first-leg clash on Saturday after a knee injury ruled the midfielder out of the encounter.
Caretaker coach Arthur Zwane conceded that Manyama will be greatly missed in Casablanca and his absence will be a huge blow.
“It is just unfortunate that we will be missing Lebo in this game because of a knee injury‚ but we hope that he will be fully recovered when we play the second leg back home [next week]‚" he said.
“And ja‚ I think we will only be missing Lebo and the rest of the guys are available for this one‚ except for players who have been injured [for a long time] like Khama [Billiat]‚ Dumisani [Zuma]‚ who else? I think it is those two‚ if my memory serves, who have been out for some time.
“Lebo has now joined that list but I think everybody else will be available.”
Zwane said Chiefs would rely on their mental strength to withstand the pressure that is expected to be exerted on the South African side at the Stade Mohammed V on Saturday night.
“I think the mental strength [will be key] and we have got boys who have played in this competition before‚ the likes of Leonardo Castro. You know Samir Nurković is another player who does not stop running and working hard.
"[In the event] of a dead-ball situation‚ if they cannot cope with that‚ then we hope we can punish them.”
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