SuperSport United head coach Gavin Hunt has bemoaned a lack of defensive options ahead of the trip to Polokwane to face Marumo Gallants at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Kick-off is at 7.30pm CAT (SA, GMT+2)

Hunt has one of the smallest squads in the DStv Premiership but he's somehow managed to challenge for a top-two finish, with Matsatsantsa, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs locked in a three-way battle to secure CAF Champions League.

He had the luxury of fielding first-choice centre-backs Thulani Hlatshwayo and Thatayaone Ditlhokwe in the 2-0 win over TS Galaxy last time out but injuries and suspensions have left him short of options for numerous games this season.

Ditlhokwe picked up a booking against the Rockets and is just one yellow card away from serving a one-match suspension, as is the rest of the defence and Hunt admits he's having to mix and match at the back to make do.

"Our squad is so small, we don't have [many options]. We've got four strikers and no defenders so we've got to get this balance right and that takes time and transfer windows," he said.

"Any coach needs transfer windows so we can try mold the squad and we're struggling at centre-back - they're all on three yellow cards, they're going to go, they went last week and the week before. One goes, the next one goes and then you're mixing and matching every week."

The Tshwane giants have a chance to reclaim second place from Pirates, who are above them on goal difference with five matches remaining in the campaign, while Chiefs are just two points further adrift in fourth position.

Bahlabane Ba Ntwa continued their resurgence under Dylan Kerr with a 3-1 victory over Chippa United last week, which lifted them out of the relegation zone for the first time in months.

A third win in four games, coupled with a 1-1 draw against Amakhosi on April 8 has seen Kerr's pull three points clear of rock-bottom Maritzburg United in 14th spot, giving them hope of avoiding the drop.

However, Gallants assistant coach Raymond Mdaka insists the threat of relegation still looms and revealed the biggest challenge they face is keeping the players fresh during a busy period in a bid to juggle CAF Confederation Cup duties as well.

"[We are] Not [safe] yet because there is a team that will go for playoffs, we would like to see ourselves out of this situation all together," Mdaka said.

"It is not that difficult. It will depend on whether we are collecting points or not because once we get another three points, you will see how far we go and then from there that's where we will say, let's keep the same character and the same spirit... we can even go beyond eighth or so.

"The only challenge that we might have is how you maintain the recoveries, how you manage the players because we are playing back-to-back. But the most important thing is how you manage the players, how you manage the recoveries because you need the very same kind of players who have just played."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Marumo Gallants

Ranga Chivaviro: The 30-year-old striker reached a new milestone in his career against Chippa United after scoring his first DStv Premiership hat-trick to secure a 3-1 win. Chivaviro has now bagged five goals in his last three games and is just one shy of reaching double figures for the season.

Katlego Otladisa: The 26-year-old winger was a constant thorn in the Chilli Boys' side as he launched numerous raids down the left flank and won the first of Gallants' two penalties early in the second half to turn the tide. Otladisa has yet to get off the mark in 25 appearances but has registered four assists, two of them for Chivaviro.

SuperSport United

Bradley Grobler: The 35-year-old striker reached double figures for the fourth time in his career when he scored the second goal in a 2-0 win against Galaxy last time out. Grobler is now just one goal behind Mamelodi Sundowns hitman Peter Shalulile in the scoring charts as he looks to win the Golden Boot for a second time, having scooped the trophy in 2020-21.

Grant Margeman: The on-loan Sundowns midfielder played a starring role in the victory over the Rockets, providing the assist for Siphesihle Ndlovu's opener and he also had a hand in Grobler's goal after his low cross ricocheted into the striker's path. SuperSport would do well to retain Maarman's services beyond this season, whether on loan again or a permanent basis.

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