Edson Castillo's log-term injury and Njabulo Blom's battle for fitness means Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi will have just three options available to choose from in the heart of midfield.
Chiefs have suffered a major setback with the injury to Castillo, who has been ruled out of action for approximately four to five months.
READ | Chiefs 'penalty' | Ref expert 'points to the spot'
The obvious option to fill the void, as revealed by KickOff.com on Tuesday, is Njabulo Blom, who is on loan from St. Louis City.
However, the 24-year-old is understood to have impressed Nabi, he is still low on the fitness bar.
"About Blom, it's a matter of fitness conditioning, which has been improving since he arrived," Nabi told journalists after his side's 1-0 loss to SuperSport United last weekend.
"You can even see that he's starting to pick up. We believe that he's a player who can help because of his experience and everything."
The ensuing chaos may tempt Nabi to turn to a man seemingly destined for the the exit door, having not made a single appearance in any of Amakhosi's five matches across all competitions.
Sibongiseni Mthethwa was widely reported to be one of the players set to leave the Soweto giants ahead of the new season, as the head coach had deemed the former Stellies hard man surplus to requirements.
The club is believed to have made attempts to offload Mthethwa during the last transfer window.
READ | Tau, Hlongwane back as Broos names Bafana prelim squad
However, the present situation - although unfortunate for Castillo, who will have to undergo surgery - presents a ray of hope for the out-of-favour Mthethwa to stake a claim for a role.
Chiefs next face Magesi FC on Wednesday, before a titanic clash against rivals Mamelodi Sundowns in the last eight of the Carling Knockout on Saturday.
Zwane and Maart are still expected to start in midfield, but with a turnaround time of just two days between the games, Nabi will know his managing of the squad's rotation will be key and Mthethwa is likely to squeeze in some important minutes.