Injury concerns are mounting for the Stormers as they look to push for a Super Rugby playoff spot.
With three games to go, their destiny is still in their own hands.
But with coach Robbie Fleck sweating on the fitness of a number of star players, it’s getting benoud at the Stormers’ High Performance Centre in Bellville ahead of their derby at the Lions this weekend.
Springboks Siya Kolisi (knee), Pieter-Steph du Toit (shoulder) and Scarra Ntubeni all suffered knocks in Saturday's 34-22 win over the Highlanders, while Eben Etzebeth who had flu was a late withdrawal ahead of the game.
Fleck is already without Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi, who is only expected to return from a thigh injury in two weeks' time.
Fleckie says: “We took a few knocks over the course of the contest and had to be smart with our substitutions at the end.
“Pieter-Steph and Scarra Ntubeni played close to 80 minutes, even though they were both carrying injuries.
“We may even wait until Thursday to train, as some of the guys may need some time. It’s important we get them back because the Lions game is a big one.”
“We are going to have to be really smart about how we go about things from here, both for the Lions game this week and beyond that. We are going to take Monday off and let the boys recover and we will assess the injuries.”