Mamelodi Sundowns are looking to bag their sixth CAF Champions League match as they welcome Al Merreikh at the FNB Stadium. However, co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has confirmed the absence of midfielder Rivaldo Coetzee due to an injury and he announced the blow during a press conference.

Mngqithi said the former Ajax Cape Town player is set to be out for six weeks as he will undergo an operation. The Brazilians are already through to the knockout stages of the premier continental tournament and will look to complete the group stages without a defeat.

Having clinched the trophy back in 2016 under former coach Pitso Mosimane, the DStv Premiership giants have 13 points from five matches and secured the top spot in Group A. “If I can start with Rivaldo, he’s still injured, he’s out with a hernia, where he was supposed to go for an operation, somewhere this week, I think today or tomorrow. But he is probably out for four to six weeks,” Manqoba told the media.

“And as for the players that went for the national team there is a possibility that we might consider some of them because of our injury status as well, because remember Thapelo [Morena] got injured in Sudan and he’s still not yet back, fortunately [Khuliso] Mudau did not play the full match on Tuesday, so we are hoping that might also help us to a certain extent to be able to help us in the right-back position.

“But in terms of the injuries, we still have [Erwin] Saavedra out. We still have Gift Motupa out, Mosa [Lebusa] is still 50-50 with the physio but we are optimistic of a good team to compete on Saturday.” Meanwhile, Masandawana have also announced that their fans will gain free entry to the iconic 2010 FIFA World Cup hosting venue. However, the Yellow nation has to produce valid Covid-19 vaccination certificates as well as ID or driver’s licence cards to watch the match.