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Faf de Klerk has been ruled out for eight weeks after The Cheetahs confirmed the experienced scrum-half suffered an ankle injury.
The South African was injured during the club's match against Bayonne on October 18 and is expected to return in early January.
The Cheetahs confirmed that De Klerk is targeting a return for their third-round EPCR Challenge Cup clash against Zebre Parma in Italy.
Despite not competing in a European league, the South African side feature in the competition.
De Klerk, who was left out of the Springboks' Nations Championship squad, will be a significant loss for the Cheetahs.
The 35-year-old has won two Rugby World Cups with South Africa, establishing himself as a key figure in their 2019 triumph.
He made his international debut in 2016 before joining Sale Sharks a year later.
De Klerk played a starring role in South Africa's 2019 World Cup campaign, scoring against Japan before starting the final victory over England.
He subsequently moved to Japan's Yokohama Canon Eagles in 2022 before returning to South Africa this year.
His last appearance for the Springboks came against the Barbarians in June, but he has since been overlooked by Rassie Erasmus.
However, the scrum-half has made it clear that his international career is far from over.
De Klerk recently signed a two-year contract with the Cheetahs and has dismissed suggestions that his return to South Africa signals the beginning of retirement.
Despite turning 35 and facing increased competition for the number nine shirt, the experienced scrum-half remains determined to feature at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
South Africa have considerable depth at scrum-half, with Erasmus giving several players opportunities as he builds towards the tournament.
When De Klerk was omitted earlier this year, the Springboks head coach explained that the decision did not necessarily mark the end of his international career.
Instead, South Africa wanted to assess their other options before finalising their World Cup plans.
That could leave the door open for De Klerk, who played a crucial role in the Springboks' back-to-back World Cup victories in 2019 and 2023.
His immediate focus, however, will be recovering from injury and returning to action with the Cheetahs in January.
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