With Lyle Foster unlikely to make the trip to the Ivory Coast next month, there is potentially another setback for Bafana Bafana ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations finals with Lebogang Mothiba hurt in Ligue 1 action on Sunday.
His French club Racing Strasbourg are still awaiting the outcome of medical exams but is likely that Mothiba might have suffered another serious knee injury and will miss the continental championship.
Mothiba collapsed to the ground after a clash in stoppage time in Sunday’s 2-1 win for his side over Lorient.
He looked to have once again seriously injured his left knee which had kept him off the field for almost two years.
“Even if it is too early to make an assessment, it does not look good for Lebo,” coach Patrick Vieira said after the match.
Local news sources reported it could be a rupture of the cruciate ligaments, which would mean a lengthy recovery period.
Foster and Mothiba were both named in the preliminary squad of 50 that coach Hugo Broos released last week, but Foster is expected to stay away given his recent mental health issues at Burnley, even though he returned to action on Saturday and played the second half of the 2-0 home loss to Everton.
Mothiba suffered a serious knee injury in mid-2020, that required surgery, and suffered a relapse a year later.
This season was the first time he was back to regular action and, as a result, won a recall to the national squad.