Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou has explained the reason behind Oswin Appollis‘ recent lack of game time.

Appollis was an ever-present member of Ouaddou’s squad last that won a domestic treble last season.

However, he has had to settle for a place on the bench and he’s mostly used sparingly as an impact player so far this term.

Appollis was also benched in big matches such as the MTN8 final against Mamelodi Sundowns and the Soweto Derby against Kaizer Chiefs.

Pirates lost the MTN8 final to Sundowns but redeemed themselves by claiming the bragging rights with a win over Chiefs.

Now, according to Ouaddou, the aim is to protect Appollis from fatigue, adding that the attacker is still going to play a huge role this season.

“Appollis is a master class, he is one of our best players. Appollis is one of the best players in South Africa but we don’t have to forget that he is human. He is not a robot,” Ouaddou told the media.

“Appollis had a fantastic season in his first season at Pirates after coming from Polokwane City.

“You know, a lot of things have changed for him, and he managed to handle all these things. He had a wonderful, fantastic season straight away.

“He went to the World Cup, and it’s not only him. Many players in Europe, at other clubs. He played the games, he gave everything for his country.

“So, he is a guy who is not cheating. We can understand one moment that sometimes a player can have this fatigue,” he explained.

“So, we are protecting our diamond. We are protecting our diamond because we have many games, and we know that if we protect him, we give him his time.

“We know that he will be important for us. We will benefit from this protection that we give him but soon you are going to see Appollis back,” concluded Ouaddou.