The Vodacom Bulls received a setback before the season has even begun with the news that Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard has injured his shoulder and may be out for some time.

Pollard returned from Japan where his club NTT Doccomo were ousted from the Japanese championship and are now fighting relegation.

Bulls will be hoping the injury isn’t too serious, but there are already concerns that he may not be able to play in the warm-up games or perhaps even miss the start of the season with the Bulls opener against the DHL Stormers at Newlands not too far off.

Pollard told supersport.com that the injury wasn’t a new one, but that it was troubling him somewhat and that it needed to get sorted out before a long season ahead.

Bulls coach Nollis Marais admitted he was a worried man, especially as Pollard is one of the few senior players in an extremely young Bulls team heading into the Vodacom Super Rugby season and is also the vice-captain of the team for the coming season.

“Handre is a bit of a concern at the moment, we will have a discussion with his specialist and see what the route forward is,” Marais said on the injury.