Orlando Pirates have been handed a boost with the return to action of several key players ahead of the upcoming MTN8 Final against Stellenbosch.
The Buccaneers will be out to make history by becoming the first club to win the MTN8 title consecutively over three years when they meet Stellies at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
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In their quest they will be aided by the return to action of club captain Tapelo Xoki. The 29-year-old is yet to feature this season and has been on the recovery route since suffering a knee injury in May.
However, in what may please Pirates supporters, Xoki has returned to first team training and was spotted fully involved in Tuesday's training session during the club media open day.
The return of Xoki comes in the nick of time as Pirates could be without Olisa Ndah who sustained an injury during the Premiership match against Polokwane City.
Notably, Ndah was not a part of the Pirates' full training session on Tuesday, presumably undergoing physiotherapy alongside Monnapule Saleng, who was also not involved on Tuesday.
Another boost will come in the form of Thabiso Monyane, who is once against eligible to play after missing Pirates trip to Richards Bay due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
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Monyane is likely to feature on Saturday as Deano Van Rooyen will be unavailable due to being cup tied, having already represented Stellenbosch in the same competition this season and Thabiso Monyane is still nursing an injury.
Bandile Shandu and Paseka Mako are also back in contention for a starting place at right-back but the pair have also not featured this season and may not yet be match fit.