Mamelodi Sundowns striker Mauricio Affonso is looking forward to returning to South Africa for the restart of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The Brazilians confirmed in March that the striker had undergone ankle surgery and would be ruled out of action for at least three months.

However, all football in South Africa was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, giving Affonso sufficient time to recover from his injury.

‘It’s going well. It’s been three months since the operation and thankfully that had gone well. I did it at the right time because I was dragging these pains in my ankle and it wasn’t allowing me to play at my best,’ the forward said from his home in Uruguay.

‘I must say this lockdown has allowed me to heal properly and relax a bit. And also not be so anxious because if you are busy with rehabilitation and you see the football continuing around the world and Sundowns carrying on, the anxiety can make you want to play before you are ready but thankfully this wasn’t the case.

‘I’ve been recovering well and just taking it day by day. To be honest, with these long injuries you have to be patient. But thankfully I’ve been feeling good and working well with the physiotherapist here in Uruguay.’

Affonso started to find his feet at Sundowns, scoring six goals in 13 appearances across all competitions before the season came to a halt.

The Uruguay forward is now relishing the chance to return to South African to resume the rest of the 2019-20 season.

‘Obviously, I am just waiting like everyone for everything to go back to normal with this Covid-19 situation. I am also excited to travel back to SA to see the team and train again with them. The time I’ve spent with the team has been great,’ he added.

‘I felt welcomed by the coaches, my teammates and the directors. So right now I am just waiting for when I can return and play football, which is what I love.’