Pretoria - Bulls lock Bakkies Botha will be out for about three months and will, therefore, miss a fair portion of the Bulls' Super 14 campaign, while Chiliboy Ralepelle is still out of action with the foot injury that cost him a place in the Currie Cup final squad and also saw him return home early from the Springbok tour to Europe.
That was the news after the Bulls had regrouped for training on Monday. They will have only one warm-up outing - against the Lions in Polokwane on January 30 - before the start of the Super 14 competition.
Botha had an Achilles operation in December after a season where his knee also played up, but such is the Bulls' depth at lock with players like Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Fudge Mabeta, Flip van der Merwe and Wilhelm Steenkamp to carry the burden in Botha's absence, that the lay-off could do the abrasive lock more good than bad.
Prop Frik Kirsten is recovering well from his neck operation, while Boks Heini Adams (scrumhalf, ankle) and Akona Ndungane (wing, broken leg) are busy with rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, new Bulls signings - Jacques-Louis Potgieter who returns after his stint with the Free State Cheetahs and Griquas tighthead prop Bees Steyn - trained with the Bulls on Monday when fitness tests were the order of the day after some initial administration and a team discussion about the season ahead.
Former Bok centre De Wet Barry, who like Potgieter and Steyn was part of the Bulls' training camp in George before their two-week break, is also still part of the training group. A decision on his future with the Bulls will be taken towards the end of January.
Barry has been invited as a loan player from Eastern Province.
Team manager Wynie Strydom on Tuesday said he was impressed with the fitness levels of the players.
"It is obvious that they struck to their training programmes over the festive period."