The Free State Cheetahs have confirmed that the injury to flyhalf Tian Schoeman is not as serious as initially thought.

Schoeman suffered a calf injury in the first half of their match against the Golden Lions last Friday and was forced to leave the field.

It was initially feared that Schoeman could miss the remainder of the Currie Cup tournament, but the Cheetahs said on Monday that Schoeman could be in line for selection as early as this week if he passes a fitness test.

‘His injury is not as severe as we initially expected and I’m very thankful for that. He could still be considered for this weekend’s match. We’ll see how he reacts and give him enough time,’ said coach Franco Smith.

In less fortunate news, loose forward Marnus van der Merwe’s season is over after scans confirmed he broke a bone in his foot.

Photo: Andrew Surma/Getty Images/NurPhoto