Orlando Pirates attacker Luvuyo Memela has expressed his delight at returning to action following his long-term injury setback.

The 31-year-old missed most of the 2018-19 campaign after picking up a knee injury, but made his return as a second-half substitute during their 1-0 defeat to SuperSport United, before making his first start of the year and playing a starring role in Pirates 4-1 victory over AmaZulu last weekend.

Memela says he is happy to put his injury nightmare behind him, focus on improving his performance and helping his side as they continue to contest for the league title.

‘It is great to be back on the playing field,’ Memela said. ‘It’s been a long time since I last played. Coming back to the starting line-up and scoring is what dreams are all about.

‘Any player will attest to this, but there is nothing nice about injury and the process of returning from that situation. It’s not only the physical demand of rehabilitation that gets to you, but also the mental part. You train alone while your teammates train on the field, and secondly, because we are not robots, the rehabilitation process isn’t straightforward – you sometimes suffer setbacks which delay your return. All this puts a lot of pressure on a player.’

Matches will be coming thick and fast for the club. With Pirates’ away match against Golden Arrows on Saturday the first of three matches that will be played in seven days, Memela expressed the importance of all players being fit during this time of the season.

Amigo, as he is affectionately known, says he is relishing the chance to stretch his legs in the Absa Premiership and Caf Champions League, while stressing the importance of having all the players fit for their congested fixture schedule.

‘We are entering a tough phase of the season. We are competing in two competitions, the league and the champions league, this is going to put a lot of strain on the team, which is why it will be important for all players to be available for selection.’

‘On a personal level, I am looking forward to the coming matches. Hopefully, injuries are now a thing of the past for me. Now I can focus on helping my team register the positive results in the coming games.’