Kitshoff out for season and knee injury for Hume

Watch Ulster v Benetton on BBC iPlayer on Friday, 26 April from 19:15 BST

Ulster have suffered a double injury setback as Steven Kitshoff's season has been ended by injury while James Hume has also sustained "a significant knee injury".

South Africa prop Kitshoff suffered his knee issue in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat by Clermont Auvergne and following a scan and specialist opinion it was determined he had played his last game for the club.

It was announced in early April that Kitshoff would leave the Irish province at the conclusion of the campaign, with the 32-year-old set to rejoin the Stormers.

The double World Cup-winning forward will travel back to his home country this week, where he will see a knee specialist to decide on a treatment plan.

Centre Hume was injured during Friday's United Rugby Championship win over Cardiff and will see a specialist knee surgeon this week.

Jake Flannery (thigh), Tom O'Toole (ankle) and Nathan Doak (groin) also suffered injuries during the win over the Welsh side and their availability for selection for Friday's encounter with Benetton at Kingspan Stadium will be monitored through this week.

'Friday night took its toll'

"Friday night took its toll and we suffered a few injuries," Ulster defence coach Jonny Bell explained at the province's media conference on Tuesday.

"We're gutted about James [Hume] and we wish him a speedy recovery while Steven [Kitshoff] has an MCL injury and that's the end of his time with us.

"Tom [O'Toole] took a bang and we're hoping that's more of a short-term thing, hopefully a number of weeks, we don't know exactly, the medical staff will bring that back.

"Jake [Flannery], again it's hard to know, it could be a couple of weeks, it could be a bit longer.

"A significant number of injuries that have hurt us but we've just go to manage with the great group that we have."

Ulster go into their game with Benetton sitting in 10th position in the URC table, three points behind their fifth-placed Italian opponents as both sides chase a top-eight spot which would secure their berth in the end-of-season play-offs.

Bell 'in the dark' about possible signings

Ulster have won two of interim head coach Richie Murphy's five games in charge to date and Murphy's son Jack, fly-half with Ireland Under-20s, is one of a number of young Leinster players who have been linked with a move to the northern province.

Ulster are in the market for a number 10 with Billy Burns leaving at the end of the season.

"I'm absolutely in the dark with regard to that. You're speaking to the wrong man," said Bell.

"I don't know what the recruitment process is or who they are looking at. I can't give you information on that."