The spotlight moves away from several under-fire Premier Soccer League coaches this weekend, with the focus switching to their national team counterparts.

But Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane revealed that, for him at least, the international break is not always rewarding.

The club has fewer players away this time around, with only six scattered across the world, a relief for the coach, who was forced to release 14 of his key men for last month's crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Kennedy Mweene (Zambia), Anthony Laffor (Liberia), Mogakolodi Ngele (Botswana), Fiston Abdul (Burundi), Mzikayise Mashaba and Zungu are away representing their respective countries.

Ivorian Soumahoro Bangaly has travelled back home for a bereavement and returns tomorrow, while Uganda's Denis Onyango and the Zimbabwean duo of Cuthbert Malajila and Khama Billiat are not involved in any friendly matches.

"It's good to have these top players in your team but unfortunately it is not always nice when they go away to represent their country," said Mosimane, who was pleased to see under-23 talisman Keagan Dolly given a breather.

"We want to be patriotic but we also want to win our next game [against Polokwane City on October 18]. I told them [the players] that the danger is that we play soon after they return from the international break.

''Fortunately, our game is on a Sunday and some players only get back on a Thursday. It's the name of the game because when you have a lot of internationals, that is where the problem is, but hopefully we avoid injuries."

Mosimane bemoaned the late return of some of his players last month, with Laffor missing a match that followed the international break due to injury.

Mosimane believes City will have a slight advantage when the two sides face off at Lucas Moripe Stadium next week. "You [are] going to play against a team that is well rested," the ex-Bafana Bafana coach said. "They would have trained together, while my players will be all over the continent."