By CHISHALA MUSONDA and STEPHEN PHIRI
INFLUENTIAL midfielder Rainford Kalaba has been ruled out of this Saturday’s 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Lesotho because of a calf injury.
Meanwhile, coach Herve Renard has asked newly-wed defender Stopilla Sunzu to cut short his honeymoon and receive specialised treatment from national team medics.
And Renard had a full house in training yesterday following the arrival of four players – skipper Christopher Katongo, James Chamanga both from China and Hichani Himoonde and Nathan Sinkala who feature for Democratic Republic of Congo side TP Mazembe.
Kalaba, the mercurial schemer, is still recovering from the calf muscle injury and is also a doubt for selection for next Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Sudan.
Last October, Kalaba missed the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Uganda in Kampala due to injury, which the Chipolopolo won 9-8 on penalties after tying 1-1 in two legs.
Team doctor Joseph Kabungo, confirmed Kalaba’s unavailability.
“For now, he will not make it for the weekend, at least not for this weekend game because we need to give him a bit of time to fully recover and then we will keep monitoring him in camp,” Kabungo said after the Chipolopolo morning practice at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium annex field in Ndola yesterday.
“Those are some of the issues we will discuss with the coach on how best we are going to handle that. From the medical point of view, he won’t be ready for this weekend.”
Kabungo did not state for how long the player will be on sidelines but hinted the injury gives Kalaba a 50 percent chance for selection against Sudan.
“If you start counting from this week, we will see how he responds from this week but chances are almost at 50 percent to even make it for the Sudan game,” he said.
Kalaba could not complete Monday’s afternoon training session as he spent time being treated by physiotherapist Gibson Chaloba.
On Sunzu, who is doing light training, the team doctor said the defender has a special rehabilitation programme.
“Stopilla, you might be aware, had a minor surgery sometime last March. We brought him here essentially for him to continue rehabilitation as you noticed he was not part and parcel of the whole group training.
Meanwhile, Lesotho coach Leslie Notsi is keeping his fingers crossed that defender Bokang Mothoana recovers for this Saturday’s match.
Notsi said in an interview from Maseru yesterday that Mothoana is an integral member of the Likuena.
Mothoana, who plies his trade for Tunisian side US Monstir, sustained a groin injury on Sunday during an international friendly against South Africa in Maseru, which the hosts lost 0-2.
Notsi said a decision whether Mothoana will travel to Ndola will be made today.
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