Mbokazi has been spotted back in training for Chicago Fire, easing fears that a serious thigh injury would keep him out for the rest of the season, reports Soccer Laduma.
The 21-year-old hasn’t featured for the MLS side since South Africa’s World Cup run ended against Canada in the Round of 32, where he’d played every minute of Bafana’s campaign. Head coach Gregg Berhalter initially delivered grim news on the injury shortly after the tournament, revealing the severity of the setback.
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“He’s going to be out for a while. He took a shot in training, scuffed the ground and got a tear in his thigh. It’s serious; he won’t be back for a good amount of time,” Berhalter said at the time.
Those early fears have since eased. Berhalter later softened his stance on a possible return before the season’s end, and Men In Red 97’s Alex Calabrese has now confirmed the former Orlando Pirates defender is back out on the training pitch.
His absence has been keenly felt in Chicago. The Fire have played 14 matches without him across MLS and the Leagues Cup, a competition they exited at the quarter-final stage, managing just six wins against five defeats and three draws in that stretch as they slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference.
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With the playoffs approaching, Berhalter will be hoping Mbokazi’s return to full fitness isn’t far off, and that his presence at the back can help arrest the club’s recent dip in form.
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