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Johannesburg - The Vodacom Blue Bulls were dealt a double blow after hearing they will not have the services of utility forward Juandré Kruger and flanker Deon Stegmann until at least the semi-finals of the Absa Currie Cup.
Things looked a lot better on Monday after their tough trip to Potchefstroom this past weekend to beat the Leopards, especially after the ride home contained a plethora of injured players from the sub-standard pitch at Olën Park.
Still, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed to SuperSport the team will have to do without the duo with massive questionmarks still hanging over the heads of captain Gary Botha and Springbok flanker Dewald Potgieter ahead of Saturday’s derby with Western Province at Loftus Versfeld.
Kruger will miss a month of Currie Cup action and will undergo an operation on his broken hand this afternoon while Stegmann’s recovery from a grade two hamstring tear will take a lot longer than initially hoped for.
The big lock/flank Kruger was signed from Northampton earlier this season and has made a significant impact on the Bulls since arriving back in Pretoria while Stegmann is missed for his ball scavenging abilities on the floor.
“Juandré will be operated on this afternoon for his broken hand,” Dr Strauss told SuperSport.com, “and he is likely to be out for at least four weeks. At this stage, we’re targeting the final, if we qualify, for his return.”
“Steggies won’t be back as hoped this week. Realistically we’re looking at the week of the semi-finals for him to return.”
Botha and Potgieter will both undergo fitness tests on Tuesday, with the captain hoping to overcome an ankle injury picked up in Potchefstroom while Potgieter looks to beat a knee injury that has kept him out of action for the last month.
Good news though is that the other injured players – Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Werner Kruger and Fudge Mabeta, have all recovered from their various knocks on the weekend.
