Beale on track for Waratahs rugby return

The NSW Waratahs won't risk rushing Kurtley Beale back for next week's must-win Super Rugby derby with the Brumbies.

Assistant coach Chris Malone is confident the Wallabies star is on track to recover from an elbow injury in time to tackle the Australian conference leaders on Saturday week at Allianz Stadium.

Beale, though, was seen sporting heavy protection on his right arm during the Waratahs' 21-17 loss to the Melbourne Rebels on Sunday and remains in some doubt.

"We're hoping that he'll be sweet to go and, any time you can put someone of his calibre back into the team, it's not going to be detrimental to what you're trying to do," Malone said on Tuesday.

"In saying that, we've got to make sure we're looking after his interests too. So you can't be rolling him out if he's not right.

"But at this stage of the game, I'm expecting him to play."

Like the rest of NSW's Test hopefuls, Beale wasn't sighted at Waratahs training on Tuesday while on duty at a Wallabies camp with national coach Michael Cheika.