Mamelodi Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso says his players have recovered in time but did not have enough time to prepare for their CAF Champions League quarter-final clash against Esperance.

The Brazilians are scheduled to face the Tunisian side in the first-leg when they meet at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.

Sundowns come into this fixture on a high note after claiming their place in the Nedbank Cup semi-finals following their 1-0 win over Sekhukhune United this past weekend.

Cardoso says his side are ready for a tough challenge against Esperance, despite not having enough time to prepare for the encounter.

“We could not profit from more time to prepare for this game. Regarding recovery, everyone will be recovered by Tuesday,” Cardoso told his club’s official website.

“We have had enough time to recover, we just didn’t have enough time to prepare. This, however, doesn’t take away the high level of performance we are going to display on the pitch.

“The team will for sure be ready for a good game tomorrow (today) and the challenges we’ll face.

“The Esperance team is different from the one they played last year, in terms of players and the style of play.

“What we expect is a side that is loyal to Esperance’s style of play. We will, however, from the first minute, search for the result we need to advance to the next round.”