The Sharks will be without captain Pat Lambie for an estimated six to eight weeks after the first five-eighth suffered a fractured vertebrae in the warm-up before last weekend's 37-14 victory over the New South Wales Waratahs.
The Springboks pivot started the game despite his discomfort, but was replaced after five minutes by teen talent Curwin Bosch, who went on to score 27 points in the match.
"It is difficult to say exactly the approximate length of recovery will be in Pat's case as he undergoes further scans, but his return is estimated at six to eight weeks," Sharks team doctor Alan Kourie said on Monday (NZT Tuesday).
Loose-forward Philip van der Walt has also been ruled out of Saturday's home match against the Southern Kings with a fractured cheekbone, while hooker Franco Marais and French fullback Clement Poitrenaud will be assessed ahead of the weekend.
Photo: Mark Nolan/ Getty Images (Sharks captain Pat Lambie has suffered a fractured vertebrae).