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Kaizer Chiefs can't have Nurkovic and Castro out for Mamelodi Sundowns clash - Middendorp
Amakhosi are depleted upfront ahead of Thursday's top-of-the-table clash with the Brazilians and the German coach must find solutions this week
Ernst Middendorp has admitted that having Kaizer Chiefs striker Samir Nurkovic unavailable for the match against Mamelodi Sundowns will be a huge loss.
Nurkovic is suspended for the top-of-the-table clash after receiving his fourth yellow card against Stellenbosch FC on Sunday night.
And Middendorp said he will have to find solutions from within the squad now that he will be without his best striker for the encounter that could decide the destination of the PSL trophy.
"It's a huge loss, there is no doubt about it," Middendorp told the media.
"At the moment, we must look at finding solutions but let me try and find the solution inside the squad in the way that we can strategise but it's very painful for me and for us as a club."
Ironically, Nurkovic replaced the injured Leonardo Castro who pulled a hamstring in the first half of the 1-1 draw with Stellies.
This was Middendorp's way of avoiding Nurkovic to get booked but the injury to Castro forced him to throw the Serbian marksman onto the pitch.
The 61-year-old mentor had not received Castro's medical report after the game but he confessed Chiefs cannot go to the Sundowns game without two of his best attackers this season.
"I have really not gotten feedback from my medical team about Leonardo Castro," confirmed Middendorp.
"But we definitely cannot expect to have Samir and Castro out for such a huge game. They have been on form and very successful for the club this season," he added.
The Nurkovic and Castro partnership has yielded 20 of the 46 league goals scored by the Soweto giants this season.
Should Castro fail to recover on time for this crunch encounter on Thursday then Middendorp could be forced to start with Lazarous Kambole and Khama Billiat upfront.
Kambole finally opened his goalscoring account for the Soweto giants against Stellenbosch, and Middendorp would hope he can deliver again when it matters the most.
The clash could also see the return of Lebogang Manyama who missed the Stellenbosch match due to a niggling injury while there is also Dumisani Zuma who could play high up the field and has goals in him.
