Flanker Juan Smith faces a race against time to be fit for South Africa's next Tri Nations assignment against Australia on Saturday.
The Cheetahs captain suffered an abdominal muscle strain during the first half of their 29-22 loss against New Zealand at the weekend in Soweto.
Smith was then hauled off after 58 minutes and replaced by Francois Louw as the Springboks slipped to a fourth consecutive loss.
He did not take part in training today but team doctor Craig Roberts was confident that with treatment, the player should recover in time and be considered for selection when the team is named tomorrow.
‘There are a few guys with bumps and bruises but that was expected after such a physical Test,’ Roberts said ahead of the match against the Wallabies in Pretoria.
‘We are fortunate that we have only one injury concern.’
He also brushed aside rumours that JP Pietersen was carrying an injury, adding: ‘There were reports that JP had an injury but these are completely incorrect.
‘He took part in the full session this morning.’
Meanwhile, Sharks number eight Ryan Kankowski joined the squad this morning as cover for the rest of the forwards.
He was not the only new face at Loftus Versfeld, with Frans Steyn also appearing after his much-publicised club-versus-country spat.
The Racing Metro full-back, who last featured for the world champions in a Test against Wales in early June, missed out on selection for the defeat to the All Blacks after conflicting reports over his availability.
His French club had initially said he was injured, but then failed to supply the proof leaving South Africa coach Peter de Villiers a frustrated man.
However, De Villiers played down any rift between the parties, saying: ‘It was all a matter of miscommunication.
‘It is great to have Frans here and he is a great addition to our squad but we have a player in the position who did not do badly last weekend.
‘We will sit and look at what will be best for the team this weekend and make it known when we confirm our team on Tuesday.’
De Villiers also confirmed his intentions to solve the communication problems in the future.
He added: ‘After the Tri Nations myself and (national teams manager) Andy (Marinos) will travel to Europe to sit down with Racing Metro and Frans and discuss the way forward.
‘We also plan to meet with Butch James' club (Bath) and BJ Botha's club (Ulster) to make sure that all parties are on the same page when it comes to the release of players for international duty.
‘We have to get our ducks in a row to avoid causing disruptions to both the team and the players.’
