Vodacom Bulls lock Flip van der Merwe will undergo surgery next Tuesday after tearing a pectoral muscle during a gym session earlier this week.

Early indications point to three more months on the sidelines – which means he'll miss the start of the 2015 season.

Van der Merwe had just recovered from a knee injury sustained during the latter part of Vodacom Super Rugby, which ruled him out of the Rugby Championship, Currie Cup and the Boks' November Tests.

Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images