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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs will welcome back central midfielder destroyer Willard Katsande for Sunday's CAF Confederations Cup playoff first leg against Zesco United at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
Katsande did not feature in the 2-0 Absa Premiership victory over Bidvest Wits on Wednesday as he was suffering with a minor hamstring concern which he picked up in the previous 2-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns.
Nonetheless, coach Ernst Middendorp has confirmed the veteran enforcer is available to take on Zesco. He told reporters: "Katsande is definitely in for Sunday. He's 100% available for us, but if you come out [with a muscle injury] and you think everything is fine, [it's a risk].
"He wanted to play [against Wits] but it is our responsibility, along with the medical department, to keep him out and wait for Sunday."The approach is not to rush or to panic. It will be a hectic game too, no doubt about that, based on the information we have so far going to Zambia."But, in the moment, it's just to keep calm and do the right stuff. We need to recover in the right way, and we'll probably start the game with two or three fresh players."Katsande, for example, will definitely be in, and 'Dax' [Andriamirado Andrianarimanana] can be an option.
"[Siphelele] Ntshangase is waiting, after he had a good game against Werder Bremen on Sunday. It's good, these are the options so let's see."
Sunday's action is set to get underway from 15:00 in Zambia.
