ANDILE Jali should be fit for Saturday's Telkom Knockout semifinal against SuperSport United as Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa says his side are beginning to deal with their hectic schedule and are learning how to pace themselves.
Matsatsantsa host Bucs at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville and the encounter starts at 8pm.
"I spoke to him after the [South Africa vs Spain] game and he was fine," said De Sa yesterday.
Jali went off with a suspected injury but the Pirates coach was confident the nuggety midfielder would report back to training today ready to prepare for the match .
It will be Pirates' first match since the disappointment of losing in the African Champions League final in Cairo to Egypt's Al Ahly - an effective two-week break for most of their squad.
"There are a few guys who will be fresh and there are other guys who will just continue with the same pattern.
"The national team players will have had a day of rest and then we'll get them recovered for Saturday.
"We've learnt how to recover quick, both as players and as a team. We know now how to load and not load and the players themselves have learnt how to accommodate more games and get over injury," explained de Sa.
"When you play week in and week out, it's not only the tiredness but it is also the hunger and the passion that suffers. Also the knocks. The body just doesn't recover from the little bruises and the knocks and you start accumulating injuries. We've learnt how to deal with that."
De Sa described United as "a good team".
"They started the season well - I saw them against Manchester City right before the start of the season and they looked very good. They've had a few slip-ups along the way but I still believe they are top-four material.
"They are not as defensively sound as they used to be but have more flair going forward. They will be a tough team to beat. We edged them on penalties in the MTN8 and that was a helluva battle. We don't expect anything less."
Jali in semis frame
ANDILE Jali should be fit for Saturday's Telkom Knockout semifinal against SuperSport United as Orlando Pirates coach Roger de Sa says his side are beginning to deal with their hectic schedule and are learning how to pace themselves.
Matsatsantsa host Bucs at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville and the encounter starts at 8pm.
"I spoke to him after the [South Africa vs Spain] game and he was fine," said De Sa yesterday.
Jali went off with a suspected injury but the Pirates coach was confident the nuggety midfielder would report back to training today ready to prepare for the match .
It will be Pirates' first match since the disappointment of losing in the African Champions League final in Cairo to Egypt's Al Ahly - an effective two-week break for most of their squad.
"There are a few guys who will be fresh and there are other guys who will just continue with the same pattern.
"The national team players will have had a day of rest and then we'll get them recovered for Saturday.
"We've learnt how to recover quick, both as players and as a team. We know now how to load and not load and the players themselves have learnt how to accommodate more games and get over injury," explained de Sa.
"When you play week in and week out, it's not only the tiredness but it is also the hunger and the passion that suffers. Also the knocks. The body just doesn't recover from the little bruises and the knocks and you start accumulating injuries. We've learnt how to deal with that."
De Sa described United as "a good team".
"They started the season well - I saw them against Manchester City right before the start of the season and they looked very good. They've had a few slip-ups along the way but I still believe they are top-four material.
"They are not as defensively sound as they used to be but have more flair going forward. They will be a tough team to beat. We edged them on penalties in the MTN8 and that was a helluva battle. We don't expect anything less."
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