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Alberts boost for Sharks

Cape Town - Sharks loose forward Willem Alberts has been cleared fit to play in their Super Rugby clash against the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.

Sharks team doctor, Ewoudt van der Linde, told the Beeld newspaper that Alberts, who was struggling with a shoulder injury, is ready to start playing this weekend.

However, coach John Plumtree may pick Alberts on the bench to gradually phase his enforcer back into the starting line-up.

But there was also bad news on Monday for the men from Durban when lock Alistair Hargreaves was ruled out for a month due to a stress fracture in his foot.

The Sharks locks were below-par against the Bulls on Friday night and Hargreaves's injury is sure to give Plumtree some sleepless nights ahead of the Stormers clash.

Steven Sykes, Anton Bresler and Ross Skeate all came off second best against the Bulls and Plumtree will be hoping to get hard-men Alberts and Jean Deysel back into action sooner rather than later.

Deysel can also be considered at lock, but he's still out injured and could only return for their overseas tour in three weeks' time.

Further injury worries include centre Tim Whitehead, who had an impressive game in a losing cause at Loftus Versfeld. Whitehead has an injured groin and a scan will determine the extent of his injury on Tuesday.

Eightman Ryan Kankowski injured his thumb and right wing Louis Ludik took a knock to the leg, but their injuries appear to be of a lesser extent.

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