Gaston Sirino sidelined for Sundowns’ Caf clash with Al Ahly

Gaston Sirino is expected to miss Mamelodi Sundowns’ crunch Caf Champions League clash with Al Ahly on February 25 after he underwent surgery on the broken nose sustained in the narrow win over Al Hilal on Friday.

It is no secret that Sirino coveted a move to Ahly at the end of last season, where he hoped to be reunited with former coach Pitso Mosimane. It would, therefore, have been a game with plenty of significance for the Uruguayan, but Brazilians co-coach Manqoba Mngqithi has confirmed he is likely to sit it out.    

“It is sad that when he was beginning to come back very strongly and show really good signs in training, we have to lose him in the manner he did,” Mngqithi said. “He has already had an operation and the doctors have said it might be two to three weeks being outside of football.

“So we are hoping that when we come back from Al Ahly he will be in a very good space to assist the team going forward. We wish him a speedy recovery; he is a very important member of our team.”

The 30-year-old Uruguayan caught the forehead of Eid Abakar Mugadam flush in the face in a nasty clash in the Group A fixture at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace. He was taken to hospital in Rustenburg during the match but later travelled back after the game with his teammates to Chloorkop, before undergoing surgery on Saturday.

The loss of Sirino for the next few weeks is tempered slightly by the rapid progress of new Bolivian signing Erwin Saavedra, who made a brief debut off the bench on Friday. The Bolivia national team use him as a right wingback, but the Sundowns technical team see him as a playmaker, running the game behind the forwards.

He can also play on the left wing, adding to his value and offering Sundowns plenty of quality cover in positions where they might need assistance if and when injuries and suspension mount towards the end of the season.

“I think he’ll be able to settle in quickly. I remember when Leonardo Castro came, he didn’t take very long either,” said Mngqithi.

Sundowns are next in action on Monday night in a Premier Soccer League clash at Baroka FC, before they travel to Sudan to face Al Merreikh on Saturday. They will then travel further north to Egypt for the next weekend’s fixture.