The Stormers have confirmed that Eben Etzebeth will be sidelined for at least four months because of a shoulder injury.

The Bok lock has seen a multidisciplinary team of doctors and is being evaluated weekly, but is not yet fit to train.

Other players who were not available for selection for the Stormers’ pre-season match against the SWD Eagles in George on Saturday include Jean-Luc du Plessis (groin), Dan du Plessis (shoulder), Frans Malherbe (neck), Jano Vermaak (knee), Jan de Klerk (knee), Scarra Ntubeni (hamstring), EW Viljoen (foot), Michael Kumbirai (back), Grant Hermanus (groin), Johan du Toit (knee) and Justin Phillips (rib).

Jean-Luc and Dan du Plessis are both expected to be sidelined for a further eight weeks, with Jean-Luc recovering from recent groin surgery in the USA and Dan out with a shoulder injury.

Vermaak will also be out of action for a further two months with a knee injury that was seen to in the off-season, while Malherbe continues to recover from his neck injury and is only expected back later in the season.

New Stormers recruits Sergeal Petersen and Raymond Rhule have been included in the 32-man squad to face the Eagles. The match will be played in four chukkas and kicks off at 15:00.

Springbok centre Damian de Allende is also in the squad, along with young talents such as Salmaan Moerat and Juarno Augustus.

Also included in the playing squad are five members of the Western Province U21 team that won the national championship last year in Eddie Zandberg, Ruben de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Herchel Jantjies and Wikus Groenewald, along with U19 talents Christian Ambadiang, Sihle Njezula, Rikus Pretorius and David Kriel, who will all be at the Western Province Rugby Institute this year.

Stormers squad: Christian Ambadiang, Juarno Augustus, Jaco Coetzee, Damian de Allende, Ruben de Villiers, Paul de Wet, Stefan de Wit, Wikus Groenewald, JC Janse van Rensburg, Herschel Jantjies, Eduan Keyter, Dan Kriel, David Kriel, SP Marais, Salmaan Moerat, Dean Muir, Sihle Njezula, Caylib Oosthuizen, Sergeal Petersen, Rikus Pretorius, Raymond Rhule, Carlu Sadie, Ramone Samuels, Chad Solomon, Joshua Stander, Luke Stringer, Kobus van Dyk, Chris van Zyl, Ali Vermaak, George Whitehead, Cobus Wiese, Eddie Zandberg.

Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images