US club responds to Bafana boss' rant over absent Blom: 'He's not in the right condition to travel'

St. Louis City SC sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel has responded to comments made by Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos surrounding the unavailability of Njabulo Blom for his country.

Broos hit out at the Major League Soccer club for supposedly refusing to release Blom for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

READ | 'I'm angry. This is not correct': Bafana boss Broos fumes at Blom's MLS club St. Louis

Blom, though, has been sick, explained his club, who simply followed the protocols when it comes with dealing with players under contract.

After naming his 23-man squad that will face Liberia in a two-legged Afcon qualifier later this month, the Bafana mentor expressed his unhappiness with Blom's situation.

Broos threatened to report St. Louis City to FIFA if Blom didn't turn up for national duty.

He said on iDiski Times: "Njabulo played the first two league games, last game he didn't play. So, we made immediate contact with St. Louis to ask what was happening. They said he's sick, but failed to tell us exactly what he's suffering from.

"So, we then had contact with Njabulo Blom and he said, 'I don't feel so good, I think I have Covid'. I said, 'okay, do a test then'. Today we are on Thursday, and we spoke with him Tuesday.

"Yesterday (Wednesday) we sent an email to St. Louis at 17:00 that coaching and medical staff were discussing the situation of Blom. We are now 20 hours later, we didn't have an answer even now."

Broos added: "Now, I'm afraid that they are trying to keep Njabulo there. And that will not happen. We know the rules, so when he doesn't come without a valid reason, then we will have to go to FIFA."

But Pfannenstiel explained: "Njabulo has been off sick since last week. He has been in bed over the past few days,