Springbok prop Ox Nché suffered a serious knee and ankle injury while playing for the Springboks against Japan on Saturday, two weeks ago, and was replaced by Asenathi Ntlabakanye.
This morning, Nché posted a short message on social media promising that he "will be back soon," providing hope for a positive recovery.
Nché's recovery will be closely monitored by the Hollywoodbets Sharks, who will be continuing their United Rugby Championship campaign at the end of the month before switching their attention to the Investec Champions.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus said: “We feel for Ox, and we wish him all the best with his injury and recovery. It’s always tough to lose a player of his calibre, but Asenathi is a capped Springbok, and he has been with us for a large part of the season, so he is familiar with our structures and systems."
“Adding to that, Asenathi was on our standby list for the tour, so there was always a chance he would be called up if we suffered an injury. Fortunately, he was in London already, so he arrived at the team hotel this morning and will be able to slot back into action immediately, which is fantastic for us.”