The Sunday Mail
Petros Kausiyo in ALEXANDRIA, Egypt
Caps United defender Hardlife Zvirewki could be out for up to three weeks as he battles “fatigue-induced injuries”.
As he sat in the dining room of the Tulip City Sports Complex where where Caps United were being housed by Zamalek for their tour of duty to the Mediterranean city of Alexandria in Egypt, Chitembwe revealed that his recently reinstated captain was down. “Hardy will be out for two to three weeks due to fatigue-induced injuries. It is very sad to lose a payer of his calibre. He has played for more than 15 months without a break.
“Hardy has a pulled muscle and that is a result of fatigue and I knew that one day it would happen but we hope gets back soon and the doctors say it could be between two to three weeks. Chances are that he might miss the USM Alger game,” Chitembwe said.
Chitembwe said while he had cover for Zvirekwi in Caps United’s domestic duties, it was in the African Safari that he needed his captain the most.
Caps United return home today to face ZPC Kariba at Nyamhunga on Thursday and Chicken Inn in Bulawayo on Sunday, before hosting the Algerians in a mid-week tie.
Chitembwe can call on Valentine Musarurwa to do right-back duties and bring back Ronald Pfumbidzai in his familiar left-back position in the absence of his captain, but the coach noted that his replacements would not bring him the experience Zvirekwi had. “Hardlife has experience in the international game and in this Champions League not many can give you that even if we have replacements for the domestic duties.
“We had even tried to manage his fate by giving him a special training programme but with the intensity of such games like the one we played against Zamalek the muscle is bound to be strained and unfortunately it happened on Hardy towards the last minute of the game,” Chitembwe said.
