Steyn, who is equally comfortable at centre and full back and has also played fly half, has long been hampered by missing cartilage but has played through the problem with the Sharks in this year’s Super XV.
Springbok doctor Craig Roberts admits that the injury is one the 27-year-old former Racing Metro star will have to deal with for the rest of his career but he is confident it won’t affect his chances of taking on Warren Gatland’s tourists in Durban and Nelspruit on June 14 and 21.
“We’ve been in constant contact with the Sharks medical staff and have liaised with them over Frans’ knee,” said Roberts. “He can play 80 minutes, we just have to make sure his load is managed.
“He obviously has a chronic problem with his knee, where there is a bit of cartilage missing. It is related to the amount of fluid that builds up in his knee – it is something he has had for a long time. Frans has had several knee operations, but this is not a condition that can be solved through surgery. It is something he will have to manage for the rest of his career.
“Every now and then, when he does too much, particularly too much kicking, his knee swells up and it flares up. He can kick perfectly during the game, it is just volume during training. It is about looking after the player and making sure he can perform at the weekend. The Sharks have been managing his load during training, and we will do the same.”
South Africa skipper Jean de Villers’, the Boks’ first-choice centre, is out of contention through injury and fellow veteran Jacques Fourie is absent with an ankle injury so Steyn is a heavy favourite to fill a midfield berth against the World XV in Cape Town this coming Saturday.
Steyn hasn’t represented his country since 2012 but he already has 53 caps to his name having made his debut back in 2007.
