Dobbo reveals timeline for injured players' return
INJURY UPDATE: Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson revealed the respective timelines for when the current crop of injured players are expected to be back on the pitch.
The Stormers will face Bristol Bears in the opening round of the Investec Champions Cup at DHL Stadium this Saturday without the services of the in-form Hacjivah Dayimani, who suffered a concussion in their 39-22 United Rugby Championship victory over the Sharks.
“He has a concussion, I don’t know what his return-to-play timeline is, but he could be back next week [against Scarlets],” Dobson said in an online media conference on Tuesday.
“We’ve got a bit of a crisis at loose forward with Hacjivah, Ben-Jason Dixon, Marcell Theunissen, Ruan Ackermann and Keke Morabe all sidelined.
“And we’re lucky that we can still field a loose trio of this quality with Deon Fourie on the bench.
“It’s a reflection on our squad; this is where we will start to get tested on whether we can compete on two fronts in our first game of the Champions Cup.”
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ADVERTISEMENT— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 13, 2026
Dobson elaborated on when the injured players are expected to return to the field of play.
“Marcel Theunissen’s has a long-term injury; he had an operation on his back, and he’ll be out for three or four months.
“BJ [Ben-Jason Dixon] is suffering from delayed concussion symptoms, so there’s no clarity surrounding when he’ll be back.
“It could be next week, but I don’t think that is likely given that we’re going into a break which is a couple of weeks away [during November].
“Keke [Morabe] is back and training again, and Ruan Ackermann should be back next week. I must admit, we’re looking forward to the return of those guys.
“BJ is another lock option. Ruan Ackermann has been unlucky with injuries, but we think he’s one of the most underrated players around, so we’re keen to have him back next week.”
“He’s got to be in the frame”
https://t.co/tytsxSCOUa— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) October 13, 2026
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