Waratahs coach Chris Hickey may be forced to turn to Sydney club rugby again to shore-up his depleted stocks as five players are in doubt for their crunch Super Rugby game with the Highlanders on Saturday.

The news is not all bad for the Waratahs though as captain Phil Waugh and No.8 Wycliff Palu are in contention to return from hamstring injuries.

The Waratahs returned from South Africa battered and bruised after suffering two losses but also – perhaps crucially – picking up two bonus points from narrow losses.

The losses put the Waratahs outside the top six after they slipped behind the Bulls and Sharks but with two matches in hand they can still reach the play offs.

Lock Kane Douglas will however miss the two matches after being suspended and Ben Mowen will also miss the Highlanders clash with an ankle injury.

Prop Benn Robinson (ankle) and winger Lachie Turner (hamstring) have been rated doubtful by Hickey, while prop Paddy Ryan (AC joint) is given “a chance” of playing.

The Waratahs have to win their last two games against the Highlanders and Brumbies to reach the finals and given the injury toll the task is a tough one.

Neither one of the Waratahs matches can be looked at as easier than the other as the Brumbies finally found their game on the weekend and the Highlanders also have an outside chance of making the play offs.

“It’s a challenge there’s no doubt about that,” Hickey told AAP at Sydney Airport on Sunday.

With Sekope Kepu already on the injured list the Waratahs have just two fit props in Al Baxter and Jeremy Tilse.

“If Paddy Ryan is not right, we will have to look at our options from club rugby,” Hickey said.

The coach said that Palu and Waugh had been training in Sydney while the rest of the team had been in South Africa.

“We felt that by staying here and training they would give themselves the best opportunity to be available for the Highlanders game,” Hickey said.

“All the reports we have been receiving have been pretty positive, but we wont know until we see them on Monday, but we’re certainly hopeful.”

If Waugh and Palu do return this weekend acting skipper Dean Mumm could move back to lock to cover Douglas’s unavailability.