Lions captain Warren Whiteley has been cleared to play in their Super Rugby quarter-final against the Crusaders after a quicker than expected recovery from a shoulder injury.
The 28-year-old South Africa loose-forward had faced missing the remainder of the Super Rugby season when he was injured playing for the Springboks against Ireland last month.
But Lions coach Johan Ackermann has named him at number eight in a team back at full strength after a fringe selection lost 34-22 to the Jaguares in Argentina last weekend, knocking the Johannesburg-based side off the top of the combined standings.
"It is good to have him back and he put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes medically to get to the position where he is. We're happy to have him in the side," Ackermann told reporters on Thursday.
Whiteley, who used hyperbaric oxygen therapy as part of his recovery, scoffed at suggestions he was being rushed back into the side for the crucial knockout fixture.
"I would never sacrifice the team for my own ambition and that was the most important thing," he said. "I've gone through two weeks of training, fitness and contact."
