Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has issued an update on the fitness of striker Lebo Mothiba, who seemingly sustained an injury against Borussia Dortmund.
Fluminense stand as the next challenge for Sundowns, who need a win to become the only African side remaining in the FIFA Club World Cup.
After collecting a win and a draw in their two group stage matches against Ulsan HD and Dortmund respectively, they are in third place on three points.
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Worringly for Cardoso, his side may have to do the job without the services of Mothiba, who, in addition to scoring Sundowns' third goal in their last encounter, also appeared to suffer an injury.
His knee was visibly strapped when he entered as a substitute in the second half against and fears are he may have aggravated the injury. The 29-year-old was limping towards the end of the match.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday's fixture, the tactician was quick to downplay the severity of the injury, although he admitted Mothiba may play no part.
"I think everyone knows the quality of Lebo Mothiba as a player, you saw his impact in both matches, how he impacted the game," Cardoso said.
"Obviously, for a player who had such a bad moment in terms of knee injuries and came to the club to try and get to his best condition, he is a player whom we have invested a lot in because we believe in him so much.
"In the same way, we believe in all the other players. He is a very good person.
"When I entered the stadium, I saw the F1 track around here. I was thinking that when you drive at high speed, the possibility of having an accident is higher, and these players who play at high speed, sometimes accidents can happen," explained the former Esperance coach, before revealing the extent of damage.
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"We don’t expect the thing with Mothiba to be a big thing, it’s not a big thing. Let’s see if he can play the match or not. It's not yet clear that he can’t play.
"But even if he cannot, it won’t be a big thing. It’s just that the period of time between matches is so small that even a small thing can affect the fact that you can’t play.
"We’re waiting for the last assessment, last tests, and then we will see if he can play."
The match at the Hard Rock Stadium kicks off at 21:00 (SA time).
Photo: Eurasia Sports Images/Getty Images
