Kaizer Chiefs coach Arthur Zwane says Itumeleng Khune has some work to do before he is “physically and mentally” ready to compete at his best.
Khune retained his captaincy under the new Amakhosi boss this season despite having seen his game-time severely limited over the past few seasons.
The 35-year-old is yet to play for the club this campaign, with Brandon Petersen currently the first-choice stopper.
And Zwane explained that while he could call on the experience of Khune right now, the Chiefs boss would rather see a completely match-fit Khune before ‘throwing him into the deep end”.
Zwane said on KickOff: “You know what’s key when you’re dealing with individuals, you have to look at his mental state, that’s one.
“Is he physically and mentally ready? Psychologically ready to get out there and give his best?
“Yes, Itu has been doing well in training but he’s in a program and the program that he’s in we’re pushing him to be ready to play at the highest level.
“Should we throw him into the deep end? Yes, he has the experience, he can help, we know. But we need a fit Itu, a focused Itu, an Itu where we know when he’s in there [starting XI], he is going to add value.
“Otherwise, we are going to throw him in with the hope that he uses his experience but if he’s not physically ready then it might also count against him and haunt the team going forward.”