Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League men’s defending Champions Butali warriors skipper Kenneth Nyongesa has been ruled out with a knee injury which he suffered during their 7-0 drubbing of Strathmore University.
The long-serving fullback got a knock on his right knee and is not expected to play a part in their upcoming fixture against USIU. Coach Dennis Owoka confirmed that his captain will not be available for the next assignment.
He said: “Nyongesa got injured in the last match. His right knee is swollen and he has not trained since then. We are waiting for the report from the physio to determine the extent of the injury. There is zero chance that he will play against USIU. Maybe, he will return to training on Friday but I don’t know.”
The injury leaves the tactician with a tough call to choose Nyaongesa’s replacement between Brian Musasia and Constant Wakura— who are all vying for a spot in the starting line up. He, however, admitted that the team will miss the passionate captain.
“Nyongesa’s experience, passion for the game, selfless leadership and down to earth demeanour will be missed but we have options. Both Wakura and Musasia are able replacements so I have a tough call to make,” he added.
The former Butali skipper also said the midfielder Francis Kariuki got injured although he expects him to shake off the injury in time to face USIU. He said: “I expect Francis to be fully fit and hopefully he plays over the weekend.
He is one of our new signings and he has settled in quickly with his energy and athleticism giving us a new dimension in midfield, something that we have been missing.”
