Kaizer Chiefs head coach Cedric Kaze believes Ethan Chislett is close to making his first appearance for the club after struggling with an injury.

The 27-year-old midfielder arrived at the start of the season on a free transfer after leaving English side Port Vale, but his introduction to life at Naturena has been far from straightforward.

Despite joining with expectations of bolstering Chiefs’ creative options, Chislett has yet to feature in a competitive match this campaign.

He spent the early stages of the season on the sidelines, with Kaze explaining that a difficult injury had hampered the newcomer’s ability to settle and challenge for a place in the team.

Kaze noted that Chislett’s progress was disrupted at a delicate moment in the club’s preparations, contributing to what he described as a complex and unfortunate situation for both player and coaching staff.

However, there is renewed optimism around the midfielder’s prospects, as he has now returned to full training after several weeks of rehabilitation.

“Chislett was injured a few weeks ago; he was out for the last few weeks,” said Kaze.

“He started to train with the team 10 days ago. We are building him up for the next games because his injury was a tricky one.

“But he’s been training with the team now for more than a week. And we hope that he will be physically fit in the next few days.”