After being out for a significant period last season due to injury, Kaizer Chiefs will be happy that one of their dependable defenders is back, the Siya crew has been informed.
As previously reported by Soccer Laduma, Amakhosi and Bafana Bafana defender Rushwin Dortley has been out due to a knee injury, but he is now back in training with the rest of the squad.
An insider with knowledge of player recoveries at Naturena has indicated that the former Cape Town Spurs defender is fully fit and will be traveling with the team to the Netherlands for the pre-season training camp.
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"He is back. He did the medicals and it's believed that he is fit and ready to travel with the team for the pre-season. Obviously that's a big boost to the side and the technical team. It's believed that his injury brought a disturbance to the defence last season so it's good that he is fit again before the start of the season," the insider told Soccer Laduma.
An insider close to Chiefs stated that it's believed that the club is still looking at signing at least one more defender even after announcing the Nkanyiso Shinga deal.
"Apart from a striker and another midfielder the club is still looking at signing one more defender. They are looking at someone versatile. A defender who can be comfortable playing in different defensive roles. They could be announcing one soon if they can get the kind of defender they are looking for," the second source revealed.
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The 23-year-old Dortley joined Amakhosi last season from Spurs and had featured in many Betway Premiership games before the knee injury. He went through successful surgery and now he is fit and ready to go again.
Soccer Laduma contacted Chiefs for comment but there was no response at the time of publishing this story.
Dortley's return comes at a crucial time for Chiefs as they look to rebuild their defensive solidity after last season's inconsistent performances. Having shown significant promise before his injury setback, the young defender's availability for the Dutch pre-season camp will give coach Nasreddine Nabi a chance to fully integrate him into the tactical system ahead of the new campaign.
Combined with new signing Shinga and potentially another defensive addition, Chiefs appear to be prioritising defensive stability as a foundation for improved results in the upcoming season.
