ZIMBABWE international defender James Matola is back in training with the South African premiership outfit Free State Stars after spending a spell on loan at lower division side Carara Kicks.

The former Dynamos and Buymore defender who has also featured for Supersport United in South Africa says although he has resumed training he will only be able to feature for Stars next season.

"I am back training with Free State Stars and will resume playing next season. However, I will not take part in two competitions (Nedbank Cup and the ongoing Telkom Knockout Cup) as I was not registered to play for Stars this season," Matola is quoted as saying by South African football website Kickoff.com.

Matola said he has fully recovered from the knee injury that led to his move to Stars’ sister club, Carara Kicks.
Carara is owned by Motebang Mokoena, the son of Free State Stars proprietor Mike Mokoena and serves as a feeder club to the premiership side.

Matola suffered the knee injury in the 2008/09 season and had surgery to repair the problem.

He recovered last season at a time when Stars had exhausted their quota of foreign signings, prompting the Free State-based side to loan him out.

Matola said he will not find it hard to readjust to the demands of Premiership football saying, "football is the same everywhere”.