Bok lock Snyman close to return to action for Leinster: 'Hopefully the medics give us all-clear'

Springbok lock RG Snyman is close to returning to action from injury for Irish giants Leinster in the United Rugby Championship.

Snyman, who joined Leinster form their rivals Munster in the off-season, has been sidelined with a foot injury.

Ahead of Saturday's match against Benetton in Treviso, Leinster said in a post on their website that Snyman would "step up his rehabilitation programme further this week as he nears a return from a foot injury".

Snyman picked up the injury on international duty with South Africa and was a late withdrawal from the match-day 23 selected to play against Australia in Brisbane in their opening Rugby Championship match in August. He did not appear for the Boks during the rest of the campaign.

?? Michael Milne came through Friday's game with no issues and RG Snyman will step up his rehabilitation programme further this week as he nears a return.?? | Read the full injury report here: https://t.co/MYjMoPkzVT#FromTheGroundUp pic.twitter.com/vQozvWWHRC

Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber hinted that Snyman could be gradually reintroduced to action this weekend.

"When we started his return-to-play date, if everything went 100 percent and according to plan, we hoped that we could get him back for (the Dragons game) last weekend," Nienaber said, as quoted by the Irish Examiner.

"From a medical point of view, they thought we must give him a little bit more time and see how he copes. He was in the majority of the training last week and he was comfortable. They just wanted to gradually progress his load. He is in full training this week.

"He trained well [on Monday]. Hopefully the medics give us the all-clear. From a coaching point of view, he needs to fulfil our needs in terms of quality of training and what he