Highlanders in Mukuli injury worry

HIGHLANDERS FC is still to determine the extent of midfielder Darlington Mukuli’s injury with the player expected to be assessed by a specialist today.

Mukuli was stretchered off in the 25th minute after suffering what is suspected to be an ankle injury during a match against Chicken Inn FC played at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

He was replaced by Elshamer Farasi who put in a good shift but Bosso still went on to lose the Castle Lager encounter 2-0.
Portuguese coach Balmater Brito noted after the game that their game plan had been affected by Mukuli’s unexpected exit.

“I want to take the responsibility for this defeat. We had a plan in the first half. With that setback, at least it was 0-0. At halftime, we tried to change. Maybe we did it by emotions because we wanted to win today to open the gap at the top.

“But sometimes in football, two plus two gives zero. Sometimes people think that it’s a derby, we are at home, this is Highlanders. So this is a point to emphasise that emotions can kill some plans. So we lost and we take the responsibility for the defeat,” said Brito.

The holding midfielder has not been lucky with injuries this season as he missed a great part of the first half of the year with an ankle injury which kept him out for a long period. He will be hoping for a good report from the doctor.

“We are yet to get the correct position on the type of injury and the update is expected tomorrow. He will see a specialist and we will take it from there,” said Nozibelo Maphosa, the Bosso communications officer.

Brito handed the central midfielder his first league start in a home game against Harare City back in the 2022 season.
Bosso went on to win the game 1-0. Since then, Mukuli’s name had become a regular feature on the Bosso team sheet but this year he has been on and off due to injury.

A product of the Bosso 90 project, Mukuli had to wait for years to get promoted.
He has acquainted himself well since getting promoted but his worry is the rate at which he is picking up knocks.
Already, Highlanders have Godfrey Makaruse out for the rest of the season owing to injury.

Midfielder Devine Mhindirira is also still to get back to full fitness. He was expected to make the matchday squad for the Chicken Inn game but could not. — @innocentskizoe.