Highlanders assistant coach Tony Brown confirmed forwards Joe Wheeler and Dan Pryor and winger Patrick Osborne have joined the squad in Australia for this weekend's game against the Rebels.
The players missed last week's clash because of injury. Pryor and Wheeler had picked up concussions and Osborne was suffering from a bruised hip.
Brown said they wanted to get the players back involved in the team as soon as possible.
‘‘We are really keen to get Paddy [Osborne] back involved as we are bit short in the wings. Joe and Dan have both been pretty awesome for us in the first three rounds,'' he said.
Brown said winger Matt Faddes had been struggling with a hamstring injury over the past two games and might be in doubt for Saturday's game.
Hooker Liam Coltman sustained up a nasty bruise to his leg which forced him off the field against the Waratahs last Friday night, but he did some light running yesterday and should hopefully be right for the game against the Rebels.
The Rebels have won three of their first four games and are coming off a decisive victory over the Sunwolves in Japan last weekend.
Brown said the Rebels were a good solid team and there was no way the HIghlanders would be taking them lightly.
‘‘They are obviously going really well and are a team on the rise. They look to be playing some pretty good footy. They throw the ball around a little bit and it is hard to spot any real weaknesses.''
The Highlanders are having a few days in Manly before travelling down to Melbourne on Friday.
But it was not rest and recreation on the beach, as Brown said the side had gone through its recovery from last Friday night's game and then trained yesterday.
The side defeated the Waratahs 30-26 in Sydney on Friday night, after leading 30-0 at just under the hour mark.
The Waratahs rattled in four tries in just over quarter of an hour but the Highlanders held on for the win.
The match had been reviewed and Brown said there were some really pleasing aspects to the performance.
The team did not get a lot of ball but what it did get it had used well and there was also some good kicking in the match.
Brown said the final 20 minutes was concerning, as the team has lost its intensity and some refereeing decision had not gone its way.
The team was not taking the decisions by referee Nick Briant any further.
Overall, the coaching staff was happy where the team was tracking after four games. It lost the first game against the Blues but since then has won the next three.
‘‘We are scoring some exciting tries but we want to put a complete 80-minute performance together.''
The Rebels should have captain Nic Stirzaker and flanker Scott Fuglistaller available for the match on Saturday night after they came off the bench last weekend.
The home team's biggest issue may be weary legs after it travelled to South Africa and Japan in the first four rounds of the competition.
