Orlando Pirates head coach Josef Zinnbauer has provided an injury update on several of the club's star performers ahead of their MTN8 clash against Swallows.
Pirates were notably weakened in their Carling Black Label Cup clash against Kaizer Chiefs which they lost 4-3 on penalties after the game finished 0-0 with several injuries in their attacking department.
However, ahead of the original Soweto Derby against Swallows this weekend, Zinnbauer is hopeful the likes of Innocent Maela, Thembinkosi Lorch and Richard Ofori won't be added to the list of players unavailable.
"We have a little problem with a few players but it's normal in pre-season [Innocent] Maela is not training but we'll get information [about his fitness] soon," he said in the pre-match press conference.
"Lorch has a shoulder problem and was out yesterday, today we tried and I think he'll be fine for the weekend. Lepasa and Mabasa won't be part [of the squad] this weekend but [Tshegofatso] Mabasa is closer, he's started training sessions with the team.
"Ofori came back [to training] yesterday, he had a problem with the eye after a ball to the face but it's fine, I think he's back on the weekend and Maela I hope as well."
On Zakhele Lepasa he confirmed that he definitely won't be returning to the field of play before the start of the new season.
"Lepasa is far from [returning] for us. We're speaking about months, not days or weeks, months. He needs the time, he had a really difficult injury," the German tactician concluded.
Pirates face off against the Dube Birds for their MTN8 quarter-final clash at Orlando Stadium on Saturday
Kick-off is at 18:00.