Small-Smith sustained a knee injury during their defeat to the Ospreys over the weekend and he will be ruled out for six weeks.

The player had been struggling with a knee niggle leading up to the game against the Welsh outfit, however, he was deemed fit to play.

Small-Smith confirmed that he has been side-lined, but remains upbeat about the extent of the injury.

“I will be out of action for six weeks and that means that I will only be ready to play in the Currie Cup again.

“It is never nice receiving bad news with regards to an injury, however, when it comes to a knee, six weeks is not a long time.”

Small-Smith is the second major casualty in the team after the lock Justin Basson was ruptured his knee, and the coach Franco Smith confirmed that he will be out the rest of the year.

“Voete landed on his knee during lineout time, and at first we didn’t think that it was a big thing, but it turned out to be much worse.

“It turned out to be his ACL, PCL, and meniscus, so everything is off.

“He will be out for at least nine months.”

Basson was a late change shortly before kick-off against Cardiff, and he was replaced in the match-23 by the versatile backline player, Carel Jan Coetzee, who could be replacing Small-Smith this week.

Darren Adonis is another option for Smith to consider at outside back, or even Tapiwe Mafura, who played for the Free State against the Griquas in the warm-up match on Saturday.

Saturday’s game between the Cheetahs and the Dragons at the Toyota Stadium kicks off at 19:35.

@MorganPiek OFM Sport