Cardoso to rest 'tired' players against Mpheni

Given the number of matches Mamelodi Sundowns are playing as they compete on all fronts, coach Miguel Cardoso has revealed he will rotate his squad when they face Mpheni Home Defenders in the Nedbank Cup last 16 at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Sunday (3pm).

After their 0-1 defeat to TS Galaxy on Tuesday in the Betway Premiership at Mbombela Stadium, Cardoso said fatigue has started to creep in following their tight schedule.

To avoid injuries by not overusing his players, the Portuguese mentor said it was important they rotate the squad while also keeping the level of competitiveness alive. 

"We have a very important match to play and the club already lost [MTN8 and Carling Knockout] and we have a strong desire to reach the final and play for the title," Cardoso told the media during their press conference yesterday.

"We have players that are overworked and the risk of injuries is very high. Also, you have to understand that we have a big squad but at the moment, we have 10 injured players.  But several of them are already in the last stage of the recovery process, so they will make the team stronger as we face a tough schedule."

While he plans to give fringe players a chance on Sunday, Cardoso also stressed the importance of taking their opponents seriously to avoid any upset.

"We will change a couple of players for this match, but it has nothing to do with the level of the opponents. It is because we really need [them], otherwise we risk having injuries, [and] fatigue, and we have to take care of that," he said.

"At the moment,  it is for us to provide opportunities for players that have not been playing for so long and rest the ones who've been playing and are tired. They need to recover."

Cardoso's stance means he's likely to field stars who've hardly seen action since he replaced Manqoba Mngqithi late last year, such as Neo Maema, Kutlwano Letlhaku and Tshegofatso Mashego.