Hanro Liebenberg will miss the next six weeks of the Currie Cup due to surgery, but Arno Botha has been cleared to play against Griquas this Saturday.

Liebenberg had to undergo surgery after suffering a ruptured small intestine against Western Province on Saturday. The Vodacom Blue Bulls No 8 was rushed to hospital after falling ill on Sunday, and subsequently underwent a successful emergency operation. He will miss the majority of the domestic season, but is expected to fully recover.

In better news for the Bulls, Botha has been cleared after recovering from a knee injury.

The likes of Dayan van der Westhuizen, Tian Schoeman, Dries Swanepoel, Warrick Gelant and Roelof Smit will only train on Tuesday, having sustained minor niggles in the win over Western Province last weekend.

Team doctor Org Strauss also confirmed that Callie Visagie will not play again this season, with the hooker set to undergo foot surgery this week. Visagie joins Irne Herbst, Piet van Zyl, Morné Mellett and Dennis Visser on the long-term injury list.

Ruan Steenkamp and Pierre Schoeman, who are recovering from knee injuries, are pencilled in to return at the end of the month, and Ryan Nell and Duncan Matthews in mid-September.

Photo: Johan Rynners/Gallo Images