When Thembinksi Lorch didn't take to the field at Orlando Stadium last Saturday for the match against Cape Town City, eyebrows were raised about the attackers' whereabouts.
In the club's official preview on Friday, only defender Tapelo Xoki was mentioned as a doubtful inclusion to the match day squad due to injury.
Lorch has been in scintillating form for the Buccaneers since his return to Jose Riveiro's line-ups after a long lay-off due to injury.
The former PSL's Footballer of the Season has been crucial in Bucs' chase for the sought-after CAF Champions League spot, as well as the team's Nedbank Cup campaign as they reached the semi-finals where they will be facing Kaizer Chiefs on May 06.
Asked about the 29-year-old's whereabouts, the Spanish mentor confirmed that Lorch missed the City match due to injury although he referred as 'minor'.
"No drama, you force me to talk about an individual player and about injuries which is not my strength and favvourite scenario. But Lorch is an important player, it goes without saying but again you see the group taking responsibility and performing well," said Riveiro, speaking to the media after the 2-1 win over the Citizens.
"We're hoping to see him back as soon as possible and actually I think it's a minor thing and it happened too close to the game, so we didn't have the margin to solve it. But I'm happy with him because he is finding joy in the games and during the weeks and we all get benefits of that, obviously," the coach said.
Former Pirates striker Andries Sebola has advised the Bucs star on how to handle his situation which injuries that have proved to be a disruption on his progress this season.
The Good
"Lorch has been coming to his form and it's been good to see. I'm happy for him because he spent almost a month out due to injury. Since he came back, I can see that the boy is prepared to play good football and score goals for Pirates," said Sebola.
The Bad
"Personally, that has never happened to me in the way that Lorch has been disrupted by these injuries. I guess, it's because he is a target man and teams plan around him to close him down to make Pirates not to play. My advice to him is that he must be strong and try to avoid as many tackles as he possibly can. Yes, we know that football is a contact sport and some actions are unavoidable during a game but he should try wherever possible. It's a matter of being strong," added Sebola.
The Ugly
"The latest setback might affect him negatively because if you are on form you want to keep on playing. At the same time, when you do well you become a target of the opponents. I think it's a situation that could be managed by the coach to say if he has done well during a particular game, he should know when to substitute him in order to rest him. That's one thing I would expect from Jose to do with the boy going forward because he is an important player for Pirates in their chase for second place finish on the log to go to Africa," Local as Lekker said.
How Pirates Could Qualify For Champions League…
"I think they can qualify because if you can check SuperSport United haven't been consistent in getting the results. Meanwhile, from their last 10 games, Pirates have won eight, if I'm not mistaken (Pirates have won nine from their last 10 games in all competitions)," concluded Sebola.
How Would You Rate Lorch's Contribution At Pirates Since Returning From Injury?
