Online Reporter
Sports Reporter
HIGHLANDERS will miss two key players when they host a Bikita Minerals side battling fatigue in a Castle Lager Premier Soccer League match at Barbourfields this afternoon.
Seven players will miss Matchday 9 action today and tomorrow after accumulating three yellow cards each and two of them have been key for Highlanders so far -Melikhaya Ncube and Mason Mushore.
Bikita Minerals are facing a PSL heavyweight for the third successive fixture having beaten CAPS United (1-0) at Rufaro and drawn with Ngezi Platinum (1-1) at Gibbo in their last two fixtures.
Coach Wilson Mutekede is more worried about the fatigue.
“This hectic programme is quiet a challenge where we have to manage rest and recovery very well and we just try and work on regeneration. The recovery period is very short given that we have to travel even for the home games.
“We need to really conjure up something but it’s a challenge and because we are travelling for our home matches it means three long trips inside seven days which poses a challenge in terms of managing fatigue levels of players.”
Mutekede has already indicated that their plan for this season is to build a solid foundation for survival in the first half of the season to avoid the last-minute drama of last campaign when they only secured their PSL ticket on the final whistle of the last day.
