Stormers suffer Van Wyk blow

Stormers wing Kobus van Wyk has been ruled out of action for six weeks after picking up a patella injury against the Force last weekend.

Van Wyk limped off the field in the 29th minute of Saturday’s victory over the Force in Perth and has subsequently been ruled out until June.

Fellow wing Dillyn Leyds sat out training on Tuesday with a shoulder knock, and a final call on his participation for this weekend's match against the Bulls will be made on Thursday.

'It’s obviously a blow to lose a player like Kobus ahead of a big game like this, but we have players like Johnny Kotze, Huw Jones and also Pat Howard who are hungry for a starting opportunity,' said coach Allister Coetzee.

'We have a few days to mull over our selection options and will make those final decisions ahead of Thursday’s team announcement.'

Captain Duane Vermeulen trained with the squad after sitting out the final two weeks of the Australasian tour, along with Manuel Carizza, who missed the match against the Force with a cut on the inside of his mouth.

Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images