Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs confirmed they will compete in the King's Cup on Saturday, a one-day event taking place at the Somhlolo National Stadium in Lobamba.
Bucs will battle Swazi champions Royal Leopards at 11h00, with Chiefs facing Mbabane Swallows in the other semi-final. The Final will kick off at 15h00.
Tinkler, however, is naturally mindful the Sea Robbers will contest their second Group B tie against Sfaxien in Tunisia on July 25.
Tinkler's men lost 2-1 to Egyptian giants Zamalek in Nelspruit in their opening pool match.
"We'll look to mix things up. The first game will serve as a chance to assess the fitness levels and see how our new guys adapt," Tinkler is quoted as saying by Pirates.
"We will obviously be looking to get to the Final in order to give everybody in the squad a chance to play in the tournament.
“This tournament is not about the Derby. It’s too early for us to fret over it. We have different objectives going into this weekend.
"We're looking forward to playing competitive games before the CAF Confed Cup versus Club Sportif Sfaxien. This will help us greatly."
The former Bafana Bafana midfielder added: "It'll be good to play Kaizer Chiefs. It'll be interesting to see how the new guys compete and cope versus them in a sold-out game."