Having missed all of Ayr United’s games in October due to injury, it remains uncertain whether Chipolopolo Defender Frankie Musonda will be available for the back-to-back World Cup Qualifiers this November, as he has yet to return to action since September.
In two weeks, the Chipolopolo will begin their quest for a maiden FIFA World Cup appearance, which will be jointly hosted in 2026 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America.
The Copper Bullets will play host to Congo Brazzaville on November 15 before playing Niger three days later on November 18.
Despite having a star-studded squad, Avram Grant will be hoping for a full recovery for Musonda, who last played for his club in a 2-1 defeat to Raith Rovers on September 29 in the Scottish Championship.
Before that league game, Musonda only featured six times for his club, in which he was a second-half substitute in two of the games and later suffered a reported calf injury.
Who will partner with Sunzu?
Musonda also missed back-to-back international friendlies for the Chipolopolo last month in a 1-0 defeat to Egypt and a 3-0 win over Uganda.
Grant will now turn his attention to looking for Stophila Sunzu in the central defence if Musonda is not available for the World Cup qualifiers.
In the last friendlies against Egypt and Uganda, Sunzu was paired with Kabwe Warriors with Dominic Chanda. The duo only conceded one goal.
There are not many options in the defence department for Grant, as the majority of the defenders lack experience.
Musonda, who played all the AFCON qualifier matches, returning to the Chipolopolo squad would be a huge boot for Zambia.
Since his debut, he has grown to be a key figure in the Zambian team.
