Gould blow for Chiefs

KAIZER Chiefs have to do it all over again without key defender Morgan Gould in their remaining five Absa Premiership matches.

Amakhosi coach Stuart Baxter confirmed yesterday that Gould would probably not return this season with “what looks to be torn ligaments and damaged cartilage” following the club’s goalless draw against Golden Arrows at the weekend.

“I’m no doctor, but I would imagine there’s no hope of Morgan coming back soon. He is probably out for the rest of the season and playing without him is the most difficult test for us this season,” the coach said.

“But we have done it before when he was injured . We can’t say we will pick up when these players return because we are at the business end the season.”

Chiefs are the PSL leaders after 25 matches and Baxter and his captain Itumeleng Khune were rewarded yesterday with coach and player awards for the third quarter of the campaign.

But that brought little joy to Baxter as he quickly lamented injuries and suspensions as they look to seal the title. “The question of depth has been with us all year . Having Matthew , who was looking like he would add something to the team, get injured and Katsande as well as Reneilwe Letsholonyane miss out because of suspension means this is the biggest test we’ve faced this season,” said Baxter.

Chiefs will not appeal the controversial red card handed out to Letsholonyane at the weekend by referee Lwandile Mfiki against Arrows.

“There’s just no time to repair this, it will be wasted energy to be honest. We are better off focusing on other things.

“And losing a national team player is a blow, no matter the circumstances,” the coach said.

Baxter’s biggest worry is having to make forced changes when consistency in his lineup is crucial to helping Chiefs win games to grab their first league title in eight years.

Amakhosi’s draw against Arrows was their second in as many games following a 1-1 stalemate against Maritzburg United last Wednesday. “We have had to change the team very often and that has affected the team. Now the most important thing is to treat every game as it comes,” said Baxter.

It’s not all doom and gloom though .

Defender Eric Mathoho, who missed the Arrows clash but scored the equaliser against Maritzburg, should return for the league clash against SuperSport United next week. For now, Tefu Mashamaite will welcome Lincoln Zvasiya as his new partner in defence .

Khune is also frustrated by the idea of having to work with a different central defence pairing in the Chiefs’ next game – a Nedbank Cup quarterfinal encounter against Bloemfontein Celtic.

“It is very difficult for a goalkeeper to communicate with a new set of defenders. But I believe that whoever gets the nod will grab their chance to help the team going forward, after all, we do train together,” said the captain.

Gould is also now in danger of missing Bafana’s 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Central African Republic and Ethiopia in June. He was not included in this years’ Africa Cup of Nations because of an achilles injury.