Frost set for timely return as Brumbies battle injury toll on eve of season

The 24-year-old suffered a knee injury late in the World Cup, prompting initial fears he was facing an extended stint on the sidelines.

Scans upon returning home revealed Frost had dodged a bullet and the damage was not as serious as first thought. The Brumbies, however, have taken a cautious approach to the lock's recovery and he sat out last week's trial win over the Fijian Drua.

Frost's return in Perth this Saturday is a timely boost after fellow lock Cadeyrn Neville picked up a minor hamstring injury early in the second half last week.

The veteran said the strain was not serious and while he will miss the Force trial expects to be fit for the Brumbies' opening game of the Super Rugby season on February 23. Darcy Swain is also unlikely to play in Perth this week and is in doubt for round one as he recovers from a knee injury.

The injuries will see Lachlan Shaw and Will Sankey play a bigger role on Saturday. While the team's depth will be tested, Neville is confident the youngsters will step up.

"We're keeping me out of this weekend unfortunately," Neville said. "It's a pretty entry level injury so I'm optimistic about round one.

"Frosty's finished his rehab so it's good for him to come straight back in, but it's also a great opportunity for the other guys who have been working hard all summer, [Shaw and Sankey].

"We've been tested at different times over the last couple of years and someone always puts their hand up and does a good job."

The Brumbies' injury struggles are not confined to the locks, with a number of players on the mend.

Skipper Allan Alaalatoa continues to recover from an Achilles rupture suffered in last year's Bledisloe Cup and is set to miss the early weeks of the season.

Outside back Ben O'Donnell is also recovering from a long-term injury, the former sevens flyer tearing his ACL against the Hurricanes. Like Alaalatoa, he's unlikely to be fit for round one.

Flyhalf Jack Debreczeni is looking at another month on the sidelines, likely ruling him out of the opening weeks of the season. The injury is set to provide reigning John I Dent Cup player of the year Declan Meredith with an opportunity in the top flight.

In positive news, the Brumbies are set to welcome back halves Ryan Lonergan and Noah Lolesio as coach Stephen Larkham prepares to name the bulk of his fit Wallabies for the Force trial.

"The progression looks like they'll try and get some minutes this week," Muirhead said.

"You'll probably see a more full strength Brumbies side this weekend to fix our wrongdoings from last weekend and get some experience and minutes into those guys' legs.

"Hopefully we can put out a full-strength team this weekend and see where we sit after 80 minutes."

The injuries have tested the Brumbies depth and seen a host of young guns thrown into the deep end in recent weeks.

The youngsters have shown the future is bright, with the likes of Austin Anderson, Shane Wilcox and Shaw producing impressive performances on Saturday.

The latest young talents may have surprised some outsiders as the Brumbies production line continues to churn out high-quality players but Muirhead said their performances have not come as a shock to those inside the program.

"I'm not surprised," he said. "Some of the guys have been around for a couple of years, they train well and they show what they've got against us older fellas. There's a bright future for a handful of the guys that got an opportunity last week.

"Hopefully we can keep them in the club and they can get some more game time for our Runners and potentially next year.

"A few of the fans would have been scratching their head saying 'where do you get these guys from' but it's not a surprise to us."