Linda Moreotsene

Linda Moreotsene

By staying away from the team and delaying treatment on his knee, Mamelodi Sundowns player Mbulelo Mabizela could be aggravating the injury he is carrying.

By yesterday, Mabizela had still not arrived at training and had not called. According to team manager Harris Choe,u he had been scheduled to arrive at Chloorkop on Tuesday.

A sports doctor Sowetan spoke to said while the injury is not severe, someone who has lateral meniscus degeneration has got to see an orthopaedic surgeon. According to the doctor, the meniscus - situated between the two joints that forms a knee joint - serves as a shock absorber and helps with movement.

"With ageing, the meniscus wears down and causes arthritis. But in sportsmen, because of repetitive injury as well as turning and twisting, the degeneration process can be accelerated," he said.

The only treatment is the arthroscopy, where the surgeon makes a small cut and inserts a device that works as a camera to see the extent of the damage.

"The doctor then cuts out the offending cartilage and cleans things up. Recovery takes about two weeks, depending on the extent of the bleeding inside the knee," he said.

This latest stunt seems to have landed Mabizela in more hot water than he has previously found himself in. In addition to the recommendation by team doctor Arnold Human that he be disciplined, the rest of the technical team is also outraged and also asked the Sundowns management that he be hauled before a disciplinary committee when he eventually shows up.

"The management will decide on the details of the DC, and how much they will fine him," Choeu said.

Bafana Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane indicated they would await a report from Sundowns before they decide how to move forward.

"It would have been proper for him to have made contact. I'm confident the team will deal with him, since he has also disappointed them too. Right now we cannot jump the gun and speculate on the course of action we might take," Nkumane said.