The Vodacom Bulls will be without hooker Bandise Maku for the Super Rugby season after he tore his pectoral muscle against the Cheetahs in Polokwane.

Maku will have surgery on 3 February and will be ruled out of action for between four and six months, Bulls team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.

The Polokwane clash last year saw a season-ending injury to flanker Arno Botha, but the Springbok this time came through the match with only a tight hamstring. He will be able to train on Tuesday, but will not travel to London where the Bulls take on Saracens this Saturday.

Akona Ndungane is another who will miss the London trip due to a calf strain. He will be out of action for two weeks. Dean Greyling suffered an ankle sprain and will be out for two weeks at least, Strauss said.

Trevor Nyakane, who was a late withdrawal in the Polokwane clash due to a back spasm, is fit as is Handré Pollard who returned to training today.

Hanro Liebenberg (quad contusion), JJ Engelbrecht (quad/knee contusion) and Lappies Labuschagne (shoulder spasm) will all train on Tuesday.

Maku has been added to the long-term injury list, where he joins Flip van der Merwe (pectoral, mid-April), Hencus van Wyk (lisfranc fracture dislocation, end of February), Pierre Schoeman (ACL rupture knee, 15 July), Adriaan Strauss (calf, 9 February) and Jason Jenkins (quad, 2 February).

Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images