Strasbourg manager Thierry Laurey has confirmed that Bafana Bafana striker Lebo Mothiba will undergo surgery to treat his recurring knee injury, ruling him out of action for ‘four to five months’.

The forward featured in the Racers’ 2-1 friendly win over Montpellier on 28 July, but he was only in action for 20 minutes before suffering ‘a knock’.

Ahead of their next preparatory match against Dijon on Tuesday, Laurey disclosed the 24-year-old forward will not be available and the French club are looking to solve his knee problem permanently.

‘It’s a problem with a tendon in the knee that he’s had for a little while, we prefer to fix it once and for all,’ Laurey told DNA.

‘Lebo will be unavailable for four to five months, until January.’

Last season, the 24-year-old played 21 Ligue 1 games for the Stade de la Meinau outfit and contributed three goals and three assists before the French top flight was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The injury update means Mothiba will be unavailable when Strasbourg kick off their 2020-21 league campaign against Lorient on 23 August. Having struggled with injuries in the past, Mothiba will be hoping that the surgery will finally deal with his issues and allow him to push on after two interrupted campaigns.

When asked whether the club will move to sign players following Mothiba’s injury blow, Laurey said: ‘Not necessarily, because we know he’s going to come back.

‘We hope he will come back as a “new player”, without recurring problems. Firstly, we will work with the boys who are fit, and we will see in the next weeks whether to recruit or not, without rushing.’