Mamelodi Sundowns getting 'lots of injuries' in training‚ says Pitso Mosimane

Mamelodi Sundowns are picking up "lots of injuries" as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) scrambles towards an uncertain kickoff date for a return to football‚ says Downs coach Pitso Mosimane.

The SA Football Association (Safa) and PSL have been wrangling on a return date for professional football‚ suspended since March 16 due to the coronavirus‚ in a bio-safe bubble in Gauteng.

The PSL had wanted a restart of Saturday (June 18)‚ but Safa‚ the mother body‚ has said not before August 1. It remains to be seen if a compromise of June 25 might be worked out.

Mosimane said the rush to get back to football and uncertainty on a kickoff as the PSL aims to complete the 2019-20 season by August 31 is taking its toll in injuries before a ball has been kicked in seriousness.

"We are experiencing lots of injuries ‚" Downs' coach tweeted.

"Training load content was designed for games starting in July. Football training periodisation and principles of training‚ of progressive loading‚ are thrown out of the window and unfortunately that is the reality and players suffer."

Mosimane did not specify which players have picked up injuries.

PSL teams returned to training‚ following government approval of the PSL's directive for a safe return‚ over the past two weeks.

This follows a break in matches and organised training of an unprecedented length of four months‚ where in the early stages of the national lockdown players were housebound‚ and in the latter phase they could train individually on the street.

A football off-season is about three months long.

Defending champions Sundowns (44 points from 21 games) are in second place in the Absa Premiership‚ four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs (48 from 22)‚ but with a game in hand.