Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou says Thalente Mbatha is being carefully managed as he works his way back to full fitness, which is why the midfielder sat out Tuesday’s 3-0 win over TS Galaxy.
The match
Goals from Boitumelo Radiopane, Tshepang Moremi and Simphiwe Masilela gave the Buccaneers all three points at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
Mbatha’s comeback
Mbatha missed almost two months of Pirates matches through injury. He returned to the squad at the weekend for the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns. According to Ouaddou, the Bafana Bafana midfielder had surgery after returning from national team duty, and the club did everything possible to get him back through rehabilitation.
What Ouaddou said
The coach admitted he was surprised, in a good way, by how well Mbatha played in the final, saying he had not seen that level from him in a long time. But with the Galaxy game just two days later, he said the club did not want to take risks with an important player.
A rotation plan
Mbatha is not yet where Ouaddou wants him fitness-wise, so Pirates will rotate him and will not rush him back for full 90 minutes.
The stat that matters
Pirates did not lose a single match that Mbatha started last season. That run ended with the MTN8 final defeat to Sundowns.
The question for fans
Should Mbatha start in Pirates’ next match?
