Allan Alaalatoa likely to miss Super Rugby semi-final, Toole racing the clock

The skipper injured his calf in the round 14 loss to the Chiefs and has been racing the clock to return before the team's season ends.

Alaalatoa ran the water in Saturday night's heart-stopping victory over the Wellington Hurricanes, but Larkham conceded it's unlikely he'll be ready to play in the return bout against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

"Allan's is a little bit more serious than [Corey Toole's injury]," Larkham said. "He's improving everyday but I don't think it's going to be there for him.

"There's a bit of work to be done there [before he returns]."

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With his skipper likely unavailable, Larkham faces a nervous wait to find out if another of his stars will be fit for the must-win clash with the Chiefs.

Winger Corey Toole picked up an ankle injury in last week's victory over the Melbourne Rebels and the coaching staff opted against rushing him back for the quarter-final.

Larkham called upon Ollie Sapsford to shift out to the wing and the New Zealander was superb in the flyer's place.

There is optimism the speedster will be fit for Saturday's semi-final but Larkham said the next couple of days will be crucial in Toole's bid to race back from injury.

"It's too soon to say," the coach said. "He's tracked pretty well but he's on a rehab program and he's got to tick everything off every day.

"He's tracked well this week, but we'll wait and see how he turns up on Monday and Tuesday."

Larkham has a number of selection headaches beyond the injury ward, with flyhalf Jack Debreczeni making a compelling case to retain the No.10 jumper for the clash against his former team.

The 30-year-old stepped into the role last week after Noah Lolesio suffered a concussion and has produced two man of the match performances to help the Brumbies claim two crucial victories.

Debreczeni set the platform for victory with a dominant first-half, scored a try and kicked superbly to give his team a 25-16 lead at half-time.

Lolesio, however, is now back to full fitness and ensured the team finished over the top of the Hurricanes on Saturday night after his injection into the contest in the 69^th minute.

Larkham was pleased with the performances of both men and will make a decision over the coming days.

"[Debreczeni] played exceptionally well," Larkham said. "He controlled it really well, kicked well and kept his composure.

"At the start of the game when we went down a try, there was really good composure on the field. [Nic White] was captain and would have felt it a bit more out on the field but the feedback I got is good composure out there and he did everything right. His defence was outstanding as well."

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