Leicester have been rocked by news Geoff Parling and Ben Pienaar have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Parling and Pienaar ruled out for the season
Leicester have been rocked by news Geoff Parling and Ben Pienaar have been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Parling had only just returned after four months out with a neck injury, but he twisted his knee just two minutes into his comeback against Harlequins.
Parling now needs surgery to repair the damage, with his World Cup hopes now all-but over.
"Geoff has had a scan and has significant damage and trauma in that knee," director of rugby Richard Cockerill told the
Leicester Mercury.
"He will have surgery in the next few days and his season is finished.
Horrendous
"There are some issues there with all the ligaments in his knee, the details of which I don't want to go into at the minute.
"It is horrendous for him and it is really bad news for us because we thought we were getting Geoff back to really bolster our second row and forward options.
"He is a massive loss to us. Now, we need to get the guy fit and well, and this club has a good history of doing that."
Parling has been joined on the sidelines by flanker Pienaar, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during training on Monday.
With Ben Woods also out with a wrist injury, Cockerill could be forced to bolster his back-row options.
However, Louis Deacon and Jeremy Staunton are both on the verge of returns.
