Alberts has played just seven games all season, and has struggled with a variety of injuries, heading towards the Rugby World Cup with very little game time and was widely expected to have played against the Japanese.
However the decision to withdraw him from the side less than 24 hours before kickoff has once again raised concerns, especially with the fact that Alberts is seen as a big part of South Africa’s ball-carrying philosophy.
While the team doctor Craig Roberts has played down the danger, and believes that Alberts should be ready soon, the question is what would happen if he isn’t?
The big flank will be reassessed on Monday and a decision will be made whether or not he will be available for selection in the crunch pool game against Samoa. If he isn’t fit, then another tough decision awaits for Meyer.
“I’m not too concerned about him,” Dr Roberts said.
“He was feeling it a little bit and we didn’t want to risk him and potentially rule him out for the whole tournament. We made the decision to be a little bit cautious rather than risk him."
