Cape Town - Several Bulls players picked up injury niggles in their 51-19 Super Rugby massacre of the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The Beeld newspaper reports that several players did not train on Monday ahead of their clash against the Blues at Loftus Versfeld this weekend.

Lock Flip van der Merwe injured ankle ligaments but according to team doctor Org Strauss it won't keep him out of the Blues clash.

Van der Merwe's replacement, Wilhelm Steenkamp, is sick with flu and will only start training on Tuesday.

Props Frik Kirsten and Dean Greyling, flank Deon Stegmann and captain Pierre Spies were the other players absent from training.

Greyling injured his elbow against the Cheetahs while Stegmann is struggling with a sore hamstring. Kirsten also has flu.

Spies has a deep cut to his eye and won't be able to train this week.

Meanwhile, the Blues arrived in the country without the injured loose forward Jerome Kaino (shoulder) and wing Rudi Wulf (knee).

Peter Saili replaces Kaino. It's his fourth Super Rugby season.

The Blues will welcome All Black centre Ma'a Nonu into their team after he returned from club rugby in Japan.

The clash against the Blues kicks off at 19:10 on Saturday night.