Changing the team’s starting lineup because of the number of competitions your club is participating in is never good for any side when it comes to keeping the momentum and results.

That was a caution Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane sounded when asked whether he would consider tinkering with his regular starting XI when the Brazilians visit Chippa United in the first round of the Nedbank Cup at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

“We’ll refresh the team and we change where we think we can and try as much as possible to keep the momentum‚” Mosimane said.

Without mentioning any team by name but obviously taking a pot shot at Orlando Pirates‚ Mosimane said it was always a risk to make drastic changes to your regular starting lineup.

“Have you seen the other team [Pirates] changing the lineup and the result are not going right‚ lately – [making] five changes‚” asked Mosimane.

“The other players are good but you won’t get the rhythm‚ huh?

“You won’t get the momentum that you want‚ so be very careful of changing your team because you want fresh legs. It can tamper with your momentum.

“Sometimes there are players who when they play they influence the result.

“The team has more chances to win when you have certain players‚ not to say the others are not good.”

Mosimane‚ whose team are still very much in the chase in the Absa Premiership and Caf Champions League‚ said the Nedbank Cup was part of the silverware they want to win this season and therefore Downs he cannot underestimate Chippa by drastically changing his lineup on Saturday.

“It’s an important cup for us because these are the only two cups left and the league. The other two cups are gone to Cape Town City and Baroka‚” he said.

“Those are guys who can say they’ve done well‚ they have their cups and we have nothing.

“So who are we to say we’ll alter the lineup when I have no guarantees that I will win the league?

“For us is to try and get something.”

Mosimane said there’s nothing favouring the players who’ve been not on the bench to start on Saturday.

“The challenge is when you are not on the bench how do you go the starting lineup? What am I going to say to those ones on the bench?

“You can come from outside and straight into the lineup like Denis [Onyango] just did. But it is justified. It depends on the kind of influence you have for the result on the day.”