Johannesburg (AFP) - The South African rugby union said on Wednesday that it was too early to predict whether Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will play in this year's Rugby World Cup after a knee surgery.
Team doctor Jerome Mampane said "it was too early to make any reliable forecasts on when Kolisi may be able to return to play", SA Rugby said in a statement.
Kolisi underwent surgery on Friday after suffering a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) and injured the meniscus on both sides of his knee in a United Rugby Championship match against Munster almost two weeks ago.
The injury sparked fears that the 31-year-old flanker, who led the Springboks to World Cup glory in Japan in 2019, could miss the World Cup in France, which begins on September 8.
In the first statement since his injury, SA Rugby said Kolisi's doctor will "monitor his recovery and rehabilitation".
Born in an impoverished township, Kolisi was first capped in 2013 and five years later became the first black Test captain of the Springboks.
