Injuries take toll, but Waratahs are ready to trouble Brumbies Sitting it out ... Wycliff Palu with Wallabies' coach Robbie Deans. Waratahs coach Michael Cheika put on a brave face on Monday by playing down the loss of Wallaby back-rower Wycliff Palu due to an injured ankle for Saturday's clash against the Brumbies in Canberra. But if ever there was a week not to lose a back-rower of Palu's calibre this is the one, considering the depth of the Brumbies' back row that has been strengthened further with the return of Wallabies great George Smith. What role Smith will play is yet to be revealed. But even off the bench, Smith's addition to the Brumbies' back row that started in rounds one and two before they had a round three bye - Peter Kimlin (No.6), David Pocock (No.7) and Ben Mowen (No.8) - will keep their Waratahs opposition busy all night. And despite Cheika's chin-up attitude, the powerhouse that is Palu, who twisted his left ankle in Friday's win over the Rebels in Sydney, would almost certainly have provided the Waratahs with the back-row muscle and pace to take on the Brumbies in that domain. Lopeti Timani, who came off the bench against the Rebels, is likely to replace Palu. Two contenders for the bench are A.J.Gilbert, who was not in the 22-man squad but impressed with his trial performances after training with the Waratahs in the off-season; or Pat McCutcheon, who has not played for a year due to a dislocated ankle, but was to have returned for the Waratahs A in their rain-postponed game against Fiji A on Saturday. "I would say [Palu] will be definitely out this week - no matter what," Cheika said. We will see [via scans] how severe the turn is, whether there has been a syndesmosis or ... I don't think it's a long, long injury. We have some good back row options. There are a few guys who have been pushing hard, either off the bench or in the squad. Obviously, it's not great that Cliff's not playing, but I'm not too worried. Cheika could take solace from Brumbies No.2 Stephen Moore's warning for his team and their fans to not expect too much too soon from Smith. "It will still take him a little time getting used to the patterns of play we have," Moore said. It is something we dealt with last Friday when we had the fanfare and excitement of his return. But now it's back to a normal match preparation. Moore said Smith's iconic status was not easily ignored, especially for the younger players. All around the club rooms there are pictures of George Smith. He is such a big name here ... now they can see him for real. While Palu would help stymie Smith's impact, the Waratahs are optimistic that they could be strengthened in two other key areas on Saturday night. Sitaleki Timani has been declared fit to play after missing last Saturday's match due to a corked thigh. Cheika is also hopeful that Wallabies utility back Berrick Barnes (knee) may pass a full training run on Tuesday and join Timani in a return to the side. Cheika is happy for the Brumbies, who beat NSW in their home and away rounds last year, to go into the game as favourites. "It's going to be up to us to fight against the odds and go down there and try and cause some trouble," the coach said.