Saleng’s disappearance from the team has drawn attention, but Cardoso insists that it is purely due to injury.

The speedy winger joined Sundowns from Orlando Pirates in a surprise move in January. He arrived at Chloorkop with a big reputation and a lot of attention went to him, but he was already carrying a knock. While he has made a few appearances, questions were raised after he was left out again in recent games.

Cardoso clarified that the winger’s situation is medical, not tactical. Some had felt that Saleng did not fit the profile at Sundowns, hence his lack of game time.

“There’s no competition because there’s space for all of them. If you look at the medical report, it’s clear Saleng could not be available,” said the Portuguese coach.

The issue came to light during a previous match when Saleng felt discomfort during the warm-up.

“He was on the bench but couldn’t play. When he complained he was not okay, we couldn’t change the match sheet; it was too late,” Cardoso explained.

Saleng was again absent as Sundowns secured a 3-0 win over Polokwane City at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, with Nuno Santos taking his place in the squad.

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