In the first leg played in Zambia last week, Simba SC secured a hard-fought 2-2 away draw with the Zambian outfit and will now look to finish the job backed by a strong home support base.
Looking ahead to this weekend, though, Simba SC head coach Roberto Oliveira ‘Robertinho’ will be without a flurry of his best stars after injury problems.
Defender Henock Inonga and attacking midfielder Aubin Kramo are yet to return to team training, following the recent injuries they both suffered.
Goalkeeper Aishi Manula is undergoing his rehabilitation program with the club's medical staff as he looks to return from a hamstring injury he suffered last season.
Simba SC's team doctor, Edwin Kagabo, issued a detailed injury update on the team at the club's training ground, Mo Simba Arena, in Dar es Salaam.
Kagabo said: “The team is doing well in preparation for the upcoming game. It is true that five days ago our player Inonga picked up an injury in his right leg. In short, he is recovering well. Right now we are dealing with nursing the wound.”
“As it is, indications are that his healing will be quick. We are giving him proper dressings and other treatment including antibiotics and painkillers. Perhaps, God willing, within a week and a half we can see him return to our training ground,” the doctor noted.
He revealed: “Football is a contact game, these are things that in one way or another cannot be avoided. As the incident happened, the players who were playing on the pitch arrived and saw there was a lot of blood in the wound.”
“I think their shock was what transpired to the fans who were on the stands and those watching the game on TV,” the doctor stated.
“However, we did a quick assessment and discovered that he had only suffered soft tissue injuries. It's a big wound that involves injuries in the upper skin tissues beneath the flesh. It is a wound that was about between 10 and 14 centimeters,” the doctor revealed.
Kagabo added: “The gash required about 13 stitches. A quick X-ray showed the bone was intact, so, the soft tissues are the ones that were damaged.”
Commenting on Kramo, who suffered another injury setback two weeks ago, Kagabo was positive about his recovery as the Ivorian continues with the early stages of his rehabilitation program.
He noted: “Kramo picked up an injury 20 days ago. He had a left knee injury. His treatment is going well.”
Kagabo disclosed: “At the moment, we are still in the early stages of treatment and the outlook is good. It is only at a certain treatment stage that we can tell exactly when he will return.”
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