Kaizer Chiefs coach Stuart Baxter has confirmed that, due to a family emergency, Samir Nurkovic was allowed to return home to Serbia, where he will continue to recover from injury.

The forward has been out of action for several weeks after he went under the knife last month to repair a knee injury.

Nurkovic is only expected to return to action in the new year, leaving the forward with a couple of months to undergo rehabilitiation.

The club have now confirmed that he will be allowed to continue that rehabilitation in his native Serbia to be closer to his father who has fell “seriously ill”.

“He has been allowed to go home to be with his seriously ill father,” said Baxter told journalists after the 2-1 win over SuperSport United this past Sunday.

“And he is getting his rehab there as we are in contact with the doctors. We did the same with Leonardo Castro [when he went to Colombia while injured], that went very well. So, we are allowing that [for Nurkovic] and I think it’s correct and it’s right to do that. When he gets back he’s going to have to fight for his place.”