The Cheetahs were hit by a setback as they lost captain Juan Smith for this weekend’s Absa Currie Cup match against the Pumas in Witbank.

SuperSport

Smith, who took a blow to the head in the loss against the Sharks and had to leave the field early, will be rested for the match but will be back in action next week when the Cheetahs face the Lions in Johannesburg.

The talismanic captain will be missed for this weekend’s action, but the Cheetahs have dismissed concerns that Smith has concussion, which would automatically rule him out for three weeks.

“We’ve decided to keep him out this week as a precaution,” Coach Naka Drotske told SuperSport.com. “He will be ready for next week but it is probably best that we let him rest for this week.”

But there was further bad news for the Cheetahs when they heard that midfielder Corné Uys has been ruled out for three weeks with broken ribs.

This means that Meyer Bosman is back into the side to partner Robert Ebersohn this weekend to cover the loss.

JW Jonker comes back onto the bench as cover for the midfield, with Francois Uys in the side for Smith at flank.

Free State Cheetahs: Hennie Daniller; Phillip Snyman, Robert Ebersohn, Meyer Bosman, Jongi Nokwe, Louis Strydom, Tewis de Bruyn; Ashley Johnson, Francois Uys, Hendro Scholtz, Barend Pieterse, Izak van der Westhuizen, WP Nel, Adriaan Strauss, Coenie Oosthuizen.

Replacements: Skipper Badenhorst, CJ van der Linde, Waltie Vermeulen, Kabamba Floors, Tertius Carse, Sias Ebersohn, JW Jonker