Vodacom Bulls scrumhalf Piet van Zyl has been ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury.

Van Zyl was forced to leave the field during his side's match against the Lions at Loftus last Saturday and Bulls team doctor Org Strauss on Monday confirmed the player suffered a ruptured ACL in his left knee.

Centre Burger Odendaal also sat out training on Monday after sustaining an ankle injury in the match, but is expected to return on 11 May, while prop Dean Greyling, who is nursing a hematoma injury on his right leg following a car accident last week, will be back on the training field on 18 May.

There was some good news amid all the gloom for coach Frans Ludeke, with scrumhalf Rudy Paige set to return to the field next Monday, following a successful knee rehab.

The long-term injury list includes Pierre Schoeman (knee), Bandise Maku (pectoral), Ruan Steenkamp (knee), Duncan Matthews (knee), Ryan Nell (knee) and Carlo Engelbrecht (ankle). 

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