Cheetahs captain Francois Venter will have an operation on his ankle after an injury he picked up earlier in the year was agitated during the November Tour.

The Springbok centre will have the operation in Johannesburg on Friday and will be out for about three months acccording to Sport24.

The 25-year-old, who made his Test debut during the November internationals, will miss the beginning of the Cheetahs’ Super Rugby due to the injury. This includes pre-season warm up games with the Stormers, the Sharks and their first game of the Super Rugby season against the Lions.

Venter is a massive loss to the Bloemfontein side, as he was instrumental in leading his side’s attack during Super Rugby and the Currie Cup and has proven to be an excellent leader.