Lions flank Cyle Brink could be set for another spell on the sidelines after the franchise confirmed that he has suffered an ankle-tendon injury this past weekend.
Brink suffered the injury while playing for the Lions in the SuperHero Sunday friendly against the Vodacom Bulls in Soweto last Sunday. The Lions confirmed that Brink had ruptured his achilles tendon in the game, which the Bulls won 40-35 in an end-to-end encounter.
He will require surgery and may not be back before the end of the 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby season.
It is another spot of bad luck for the 26-year-old, who had his hopes of a Springbok debut cruelly denied by a knee injury after being called up in 2018.
It leaves the Lions looking thin in the loose-forward department for the Super Rugby opener against the Jaguares, especially as the union could also be without new signing Roelof Smit, who suffered a calf contusion.
Also on the sidelines is tighthead prop Carlu Sadie, who was concussed in the match, while rookie flank Francke Horn has a grade-two ankle injury, which could take between four to six weeks to heal.
In more positive news, the Johannesburg-based side confirmed that No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani would be returning from the ankle issue he had while on duty with the Blitzboks.
Injury Report:
Cyle Brink: Ruptured Achilles tendon
Carlu Sadie: Concussion
Darrien Landsberg: Concussion
Roelof Smit: Calf contusion
Francke Horn: Grade II ankle
Returning:
Ruan Vermaak (knee)
Hacjivah Dayimani (ankle)
: Cyle Brink (Lions Rugby Co/Frans Lombard)#LionsPride pic.twitter.com/OmkWBY6Jrd— Emirates Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) January 20, 2020
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images