Maritzburg United will face JDR Stars without striker Friday Samu but with midfielder Reagan van der Ross in better health for the National First Division fixture in Durban on Friday.
Both players have nursed ankle injuries recently.
Samu, according to the local club, is about to miss his second match, but Van der Ross will look to regain a first-team place after he returned from the injury as a substitute last weekend.
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That was when coach Zipho Dlangalala’s men played to a goalless score away to promotion rivals Hungry Lions.
After eight rounds of action, Maritzburg sit four points adrift of log-leading rookies Orbit College, as do Lions and Magesi FC.
This means that Maritzburg, Lions and Magesi are separated only by goal difference, while JDR Stars are a further two points behind in fifth place.
According to Maritzburg’s managing director and chairperson Farook Kadodia, their plan is to keep staying in touch with Orbit College until they get an opportunity to move above them.
However, there’s a fairly hectic schedule in place before the Christmas recess and Maritzburg will hope to get through that in one piece, said Kadodia.
He also said that his team have to get used to bumpy pitches presented by some opponents in the Motsepe Foundation-backed division, which was the case in their 0-0 result against Lions last week.
For Friday’s game against JDR Stars at their temporary home in Durban, his club have made a bus available for fans in Pietermaritzburg.
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The kick-off is at 7.30pm at Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium.
Orbit College are scheduled to host Venda FC on Saturday afternoon and Magesi visit Upington City at the same time, while Lions entertain Pretoria Callies on Sunday afternoon.
Venda FC, Pretoria Callies and Platinum City Rovers are holding up the 16-team standings at present, as they have collectively registered only two wins to date.
Meanwhile, Royal AM and SuperSport United will return to league duty tonight when they face each other up country.