Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has welcomed Oswin Appollis’s return to training but insists the club will not take unnecessary risks with the Bafana Bafana international as a demanding run of fixtures approaches.
The 25-year-old winger missed Pirates’ 1-0 victory over African Stars in the first leg of their Caf Champions League second preliminary round tie after being stretchered off during the 3-0 Betway Premiership win against TS Galaxy.
Appollis had made an immediate impact against Galaxy, setting up Boitumelo Radiopane’s opening goal before his evening was cut short by injury.
Speaking at Pirates’ media day at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s return leg against African Stars, Ouaddou confirmed that Appollis had resumed training as the technical staff assessed his fitness.
“I’m happy that he’s coming back in training. The target today was to assess him, to see what he’s able to do, and we start with the warm-up to see if he can sprint,” the coach said.
Ouaddou added that Appollis had reported no further pain, but stressed that his importance to the squad meant caution was essential.
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“He told me that he doesn’t feel any more pain. But at the same time, you have to understand that Oswin is really an important player in our team. I call them, they are all Ferraris,” he said.
“You have to take care of the engine very well, and I don’t want to take a risk with one of the important players.”
Pirates face a crucial period, with Friday’s match offering a route towards the Champions League group stages. The Carling Knockout Cup and the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs on 31 October also loom.
Ouaddou’s comments suggest Appollis’s return to competitive action will depend on how he responds to further assessments, rather than the urgency of the fixture list.
With important domestic and continental objectives ahead, Pirates will hope their influential winger can recover fully without suffering a setback from an early return.