The international break may have come as a blessing in disguise for Orlando Pirates who are finally be set to welcome back one of their stars from a lengthy injury layoff.
Vincent Pule, who last played a match in October 2021, was expected to make his return to the Bucs matchday squad last month, only for the player to suffer a relapse on the grade-three tear of the quadricep muscle, as confirmed by the club’s first team coach Fadlu Davids.
The winger picked up an injury while with Bafana Bafana, which forced him out of the starting line-up of the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Ethiopia in October.
In addition, Davids confirmed that Pule, who had been making progress in recovery was expected to be available at the start of April, if all went according to plan.
“He was very close to coming back but had a slight setback, so a cautious approach is now what is needed for him to pass his minimal standards in relation to his rehabilitation and hopefully we’ll have him back, I don’t want to put my head on the block, (but) by April or late March,” Davids told journalists last month.
Now, Siya sources have informed the crew that the 30-year-old has resumed training with the rest of his Buccaneers teammates.
While Sunday’s CAF Confederations Cup match against Al Ittihad might come too soon for Pule, the crew has been informed that the player could make a return when Pirates take on Sekhukhune United next Wednesday.
The news will come as a welcomed relief for Pirates who could finally have their full contingent of players available for selection for the first time this season, with injuries having plagued the Soweto giants throughout the campaign.
Scroll through the gallery to see the PSL stars turning out in the ABC Motsepe League:
