Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi says Themba Zwane’s injury was never really serious, and he will be available for their first- leg quarter-final Caf Champions League match against record-winners Al Ahly in Cairo on Saturday.

The influential midfielder was taken off early on in last week’s clash with Maritzburg United, the Downs coach staff taking no chances with their talisman with the season’s business end fast approaching.

Sundowns will be off to the Al Salam Stadium to face former coach Pitso Mosimane and his reigning African champions seeking a positive result ahead of the second leg in Atteridgeville the following Saturday.

Zwane may have missed the weekend’s win over TS Galaxy, but Mngqithi says he is confident he will be fit for the clash against Ahly.

‘We are hopeful from the doctors and it looks like he will be able to play the next match in Egypt‚’ Mngqithi said after the win over Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium.

‘We are hopeful that everything goes according to plan but it never really looked very serious.

‘We just had to be a little bit cautious and make sure that we didn’t aggravate it‚ and that’s why we took him out early.

‘It was never really a tear but probably a strain that could have easily resulted in a tear had he continued with the match [against Maritzburg]. But we took him out.

‘The doctor said [after the Maritzburg match] that within a week or 10 days he will be able to help us and we have got enough days until our next match [against Ahly on Saturday]‚’ said Mngqithi.

‘That combination is giving us a lot of hope and direction in our play because it gives us stability up top.

‘We know we have got a proper No 9 [Motupa] and there is a surprise factor of Peter coming in late into areas that are dangerous.

‘Not many people can detect his [Shalulile’s] movements. We are hopeful that he still going to score some goals to help us.’